New Game
by Swirlee
Summary: Aura struggles to protect what she holds dear. Marie, on the other hand, struggles to hold on to the person she loves dearly. A new adventure for both of them, yet will they overcome it, or fall prey to the dangers? Sorie. Possible Rira/Rora.
1. Counted Days

Oh my goodness, here we are.

The first chapter of the awaited story[really?]... New Game!

Hopefully it'll turn out better than Game Over, Memory Game, and Nameless Days altogether, and hopefully you guys will enjoy it as much as I will write it.

I don't think I have to address anything else, except... Don't forget to look at my profile for the pictures I drew of Marie!

Well, Here goes nothing!

**Disclaimer:  
><strong>I **Do not** own Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

ȶ**  
>Counted Days<strong>

_A far-off dream that's like a scattered memory.  
>A scattered memory that's like a far-off dream.<br>I want to line the pieces...  
>Yours, and mine.<em>

_We fly on different wings, you and I.  
>I'll always be heading left, and you, right.<br>But no matter what happens, no matter where destiny takes us.  
>I'll always be in your heart, and you'll be always be in mine.<br>No matter how far a distance we are, I'll still hear your voice.  
>Loud and clear.<em>

ȶ

"_Give me a break, Kai—"_

"_Sora, don't ever change."_

"_With Mar—, It's totally different. I want to protect her! If she was lost in the darkness, I'd dive in and save her from it!"_

"_My feelings for Sora are really strong, and you could almost say that I love him."_

"_The doors are opening..."_

"_But I've been protecting this power, and I'm not about to give it to them either. Even if it kills me, I have to protect it."_

Silence grew in, and he grunted a bit before fully waking up. Roxas looked at his bed, and questioned the dream he had, the dream about _him._ He opened up the window beside his bed, and looked out into the sunny town, filled with people and the noise of birds. He also heard the bell from the clock tower tolling, and decided to leave so he could go to the hideout.

ȶ**  
><strong>

"Man, doesn't that tick you off?"

"Yeah, that's just wrong."

"Seifer's gone too far this time."

Hayner, Pence and Olette all looked towards Roxas, who only nodded at the three of them. Hayner jumped off his sitting area, and walked around the room. He couldn't believe that Seifer blamed his gang for stealing stuff around the town, but he understood where he came from. Seifer and Hayner's gang were always on wrong terms with each other, but Hayner absolutely hated how Seifer went around telling everyone it was Hayner and his gang that were the thieves.

Hayner thought about what they should do, and everyone looked around and thought as well. Roxas suggested they find the real thieves, and Pence agreed. Hayner asked what they should do with Seifer, and Roxas told him to concentrate on the real culprits first.

Hayner growled, and Pence shouted in fear. "Oh no!"

"It's gone!" he shouted. "Our — are gone!"

Pence grabbed his throat, and wondered what the heck was going on. Hayner and Olette also tried saying the word, but it just wouldn't come out. They grabbed onto their throats, and stroked it to see if that had been the problem. However, it was not. Roxas wondered, their photos were stolen, and even the word had been stolen, as well!

As the three others went out to do some recon, Roxas followed behind. He felt a little dizzy, and stopped for a moment. He passed it off, however, and continued with his friends.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

"We're never gonna save up to go to the beach if you're always sleeping on your job!"

"W-what?" I said, quickly getting up from sleeping on the counter of the ice cream shop I'm working at. I rubbed my eyes, and looked in front of me. Hayner, Pence and Olette all looked at me, either laughing, smiling or smirking. I sighed, and placed my elbows on the counter.

"It's not my fault no one wants to buy ice cream," I said, looking at them. "And I already have enough saved for one person, you guys need to pick up the pace."

"Pfft, please," replied Hayner. "I'm doing so well at my job. Delivery has never been this fast since I came around."

I rolled my eyes as Olette and Pence laughed. Olette has been working at posting up posters for the big struggle tournament that's coming up soon, Hayner and I already signed up for it, right now we're just training. The foam sticks we use to train are a lot of fun, but whenever I get distracted Hayner hits me.

...It doesn't hurt since it's made out of foam, but still...

Pence has also been helping putting some cargo away, and he's quite happy about it. Since he's doing labour, he's getting more paid than all of us. I think he has enough to go to the beach as well, but he wanted to save up more so that we have some extra munny while there.

It was funny how the whole talk about going to the beach started, you see, it was their idea to save up, so we could all celebrate my birthday. It's coming up soon, but for some odd reason, I'm not really happy about it. I don't know why, but I get the feeling that we'll be short one person. I get the feeling that I'm suppose to celebrate with someone, specifically, a boy.

...Olette keeps saying it might be prince charming coming, and he'll sweep me off my feet and kiss me. We'll ride into the sunset on his white horse, and we'll be together happily forever after.

Really, Olette?

Anyways, I didn't think anything of it as time passed, but It's been bugging me now. I don't want to feel like this on my birthday, but I think it's because I don't have a family. I remember coming here, with no one to call mom, dad, brother or sister. Olette was kind enough to let me stay with her, until I remember where, or who, my family is. Hopefully I remember soon, I want everyone I know and love to be there for my birthday.

"Well, in any case," Olette said, which took me out of my thoughts. "We'll need a lot of munny if we want to really enjoy Marie's birthday."

"Thanks," I said, smiling at all three of them. "I hope it'll be the best birthday. Hey, I get off soon. Let me get out of here, so we can practice for the struggle Tournament."

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

Roxas, Hayner, Pence and Olette all walked towards the sandlot, and saw Rai, fuu, Vivi and Seifer there. Fuu pointed them out, and Rai merely stated how low they were to actually steal. Hayner grew angry, and Seifer told them to give back what they stole.

Seifer then went on saying how they were simply losers, and didn't need any proof to show it. Seifer looked at them, and smirked. "Maybe if you get on your knees and beg, _maybe_ I'll let it slide."

Roxas walked forward, and took a deep breath. Hayner, not believing what was happening, called out to him. Roxas looked around him, and noticed two sword foams near him. He wasn't going to let this go easily.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

We walked towards the sandlot, and Hayner had two foam swords with him. We needed to be in perfect shape and condition to fight, so that Seifer and his gang wouldn't beat us.

Hayner and the rest didn't really like Seifer a lot, but it was assumed that they had history even way before I arrived. I had nothing against him, in fact, I knew he was a mean person to those who were mean to him. So I did what any smart person did; play suck up. Hayner didn't like the idea at first, but Olette said that it was good having a mediator between them. I shrugged at the idea, since I didn't really have any comments on it. I try my best to be friendly with everyone.

Hayner threw me a foam sword, and I caught it, although a little lazily. I was still getting used to catching and fighting, but I wanted to join in this tournament, because something told me I would remember more of my past if I did. I walked to one end of the sandlot, and Hayner walked to the other. I took my position, which felt completely awkward, and looked at him. He was so pro at this, but he admitted that Seifer was a little better, even though he hated it.

I told him that if we both enter, it would rise our chances of beating Seifer. If I didn't beat him, Hayner had the chance, and if Hayner didn't beat him, I had the chance.

"Alright, Marie," said Hayner, looking at me in his fighting stance. "Just like last time."

I took a deep breath, and Hayner suddenly came at me. I blocked his attack, and he attacked again. I manage to half-block it, and I attacked him, though he blocked it. He ran a few away from me, and I stood my ground, I want to see if I can try and read his moves.

As he ran around me, I noticed he jumped right back in to attacking. I block the attack a couple of times, but the last one hit me. I stumbled a bit from it, but I regained my posture. He went back to running around, and I had his moves locked in. As he came in to attack again, I blocked the first attack, and quickly went in to attack him.

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

Seifer blocked a couple of attacks, and Roxas kept at it. Seifer managed to hit him hard enough for him to stumble, and attacked him afterwards. Roxas blocked the last two attacks, and hit Seifer a couple of times in return.

Seifer fell down after the last attack, and both Rai and Fuu came to defend him. Pence took a picture of Roxas in front of Seifer, and gave him a thumbs up. All of a sudden, a white, fast... _thing_ came up to Pence and stole the photos. Hayner shouted at it, and Olette questioned if it was the thief. Roxas ran to follow it, and headed all the way into the woods.

He eventually made his way into the mansion, and there was the white thing. He walked towards it cautiously, and the zipper that appeared to be his mouth opened. Roxas growled, and held his foam sword against it.

This enemy was fast, and avoided all of the attacks Roxas pit against it. He wasn't getting any attacks on it, and the thing kept hitting him. He stopped attacking it, and figured it was no use. He looked down, and suddenly, his foam sword transformed into what appeared to be a Key looking sword. He questioned what it was, as it began pointing towards the enemy.

As if on instinct, Roxas began to attack the enemy. He begun to notice that the attacks were having an effect, and the thing actually felt the pain Roxas delivered. The enemy attacked Roxas a couple of times, but he managed to block them. He attacked the thing in return, and soon enough it disappeared.

As it did, pictures kept falling from the sky, and he watched as it did. He picked up the pictures, and headed back to the hideout.

Once there, Hayner, Pence and Olette looked at the pictures. They noticed that all of the pictures were of Roxas, and Olette realized why everyone thought they stole them. Pence thought for a moment, and wondered if the actual thief wanted to steal Roxas.

"Get real," said Hayner. "Who would want to steal a bonehead like Roxas."

"Oh, thanks."

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

"Augh," I said, dropping to my knees. "No more! Please!"

Hayner laughed as he stuck out his hand to me. I was so tired from fighting, but I think we got a lot of training done. I got a lot better at blocking, and I was finally able to attack without getting hit in return. I looked at Hayner, and laughed as I took his hand. I got up, and patted the dirt off my knees.

"You guys were pretty good," said Pence. "You're getting a lot better, Marie."

"Yeah!" agreed Olette. "Imagine! What if Marie won the tournament? She'd be the first girl to win it!"

"Pu-lease," Hayner said while waving his hand around. "Marie is way to clumsy to actually win the _whole_ tournament!"

I huffed, and pushed Hayner. Olette and Pence laughed, and soon enough, so did I. Hayner smirked, and then chuckled along with us. We said goodbye to each other, and walked towards our homes.

ȶ**  
>The 2nd day<strong>

"_What happened to my home? My island?"_

"_Riku! Kai—"_

"_Hey, why don't you come with us? We can go to other worlds on our vessel."_

"_Donald Duck"_

"_Name's Goofy."_

"_And I'm Mar—"_

Roxas suddenly woke up, and looked at his hands. "A Key...blade?"

He had been having those dreams again, the ones with that boy. However, images popped up of a girl with red hair, and what looked like to be blue eyes. He didn't know what that meant, but he figured maybe it was a friend of the boy's? He didn't know.

He also had been having dreams of another girl, but she didn't appear as often as the girl with red hair did. This girl had blonde hair, but Roxas never got to see her face, since when she turned around, he would always wake up. Roxas shook his head, and decided to not think on any of these things. He got up, got dressed, and headed towards the hideout.

As he made his way, he stopped to think about the Keyblade. He looked over to see a stick, and picked it up. He started attacking the air with the stick, and then shrugged his shoulders. He threw the stick behind him, and it hit a man wearing a coat that was black.

He turned around and said sorry, but the man simply walked away. Roxas shook his head, and walked back to the hideout. As he entered, someone walked out in front of it, and watched as Roxas walked into it.

Aura stood there, with her hands close together. She softly grunted, and looked at the ground. Riku had just passed by not too long ago, and Aura had actually meant to see him. She sighed, and looked at the hideout. She closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them as she walked away.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

I had been sitting on the couch with Olette at our hideout, while eating some ice cream. I wasn't working today, so I was happy eating ice cream with my friends today.

"How awesome was it that we all got the same day off at work?" asked Olette, taking a bite from her ice cream. "It gives us more time to just hang out and have fun."

"Yeah, but what _is_ there to do?" asked Hayner, who took a big bite off his ice cream. True, there was really nothing to do, since we did most of what we had planned to do during the summer. I wanted to practice my cartwheels, as well as my hand stands, but I don't think that would be fun for everyone.

"Why don't we practice for the tournament?" asked Hayner. "It's two days from now, and we don't have a lot trained."

I sighed, and didn't really want to train. But I guess if we want to defeat Seifer, we have to be on top of it. I agreed with Hayner, and Pence and Olette nodded as well. As soon as we finished our ice cream, we headed to the sandlot, and trained.

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

"Let's head to the beach!" shouted Hayner. It was made apparent that the summer was almost over, and none of the members had anything to do. So Hayner suggested they went to the beach, however, Roxas reminded him that they had no munny.

Hayner smirked, and told the gang how they would work to get munny. He ran out to the market street, and everyone else followed. As Hayner ran towards the street, he stopped, and looked at the poster on the wall. It had sported the picture for the struggle tournament, and Hayner smirked and looked at Roxas.

"Just two more days," he said. "If we both enter, one of us will win, and split the prize."

Roxas looked at Hayner, and nodded at him. Olette and Pence cheered them on, and wished them luck on that day. Roxas and Hayner promised each other they would try their hardest to win the prize, and crossed arms with each other to symbolize it. He looked at everyone, and changed subjects.

"Alright, one ticket to the beach is nine-hundred," said Hayner. "How much is it for four?"

"three-thousand six hundred," replied Olette. "With three hundred for us to spend, it's one thousand two hundred. A total of four-thousand eight hundred."

"What do we need three hundred for?" asked Roxas. Hayner patted his chest, and told him they were going to spend it on pretzels. Roxas suggested watermelon, but Hayner told them they were too expensive. Olette told them they needed four-thousand eight hundred, and Pence told them he had eight hundred already saved. Olette had six hundred and fifty munny, while Roxas only had one hundred and fifty munny.

"one thousand and six hundred munny, that's good!" said Hayner. "Just three-thousand two hundred to go."

Hayner told the others to split up and find jobs, and to meet back at the station when they each earned at least eight hundred munny. Hayner ran as fast as he could, and Olette sighed. Pence laughed, and Roxas was getting hungry from the though of eating pretzels. Everyone had split up, and went to gain jobs to get munny.

ȶ**  
>Aura<strong>

Aura stood on top of the clock tower, with Riku beside her. She had been coming and going between the two Twilight Towns, to check on both Roxas and Marie. Although it pained her to see Roxas, she had to do it. She mostly stayed in the real Twilight Town though, mainly because she was more concerned for Marie.

"What do you think about it?" asked Riku, looking into the town.

"He acts like he's a normal teenaged boy," she replied, shaking her head and crossing her arms. She scoffed, and placed pressure on her left foot. "If only it were that easy to be one—a real person."

Riku sighed, and watched as Marie, along with her friends trained for the tournament. "So, did you see Marie?"

"Yeah, I did," Aura replied. "We do look a like, but she looks a little more naive and innocent than me."

"Well, that's because she is," he said. "She was dragged into the battlefield, and she's had a pretty rough past. But still... she remains strong... and happy."

"Xemnas would do anything to see to it that her happiness is destroyed by using her in his plans," stated Aura. "Well, he's got another thing coming if he thinks he can get away with it."

Riku chuckled, and Aura looked at him. She was finding it weird how he was laughing at something so serious. Riku stopped laughing when he noticed Aura giving him a weird look, and he looked at her. "I'm not laughing because of what you said. I'm laughing because... well, when it comes to it... Marie can get just as angry as you can."

Aura chuckled, and Riku did the same as well. They soon began to laugh into hysterics, for really no reason. Riku was starting to accept Aura as Marie's nobody, since at first he didn't really like her attitude. But he soon realized that it was something that made Aura... well, Aura. He knew he could never witness the nice side of her, what with everything happening, but one day he would.

Aura also began to show trust in Riku. Although she was so distant from everyone else, seeing Riku as a friend to Marie made her think that he could be trusted. Of course, she knew about Riku's little battle with darkness, but Aura completely understood, since she harboured some dark powers as well.

"I'm going to take a look around the virtual Twilight Town," said Aura. "The Organization knows where Roxas is hiding, so I think I need to keep a close eye on it."

Riku nodded, and Aura created a portal for herself. She walked through it, and Riku watched as she did. He turned back, and felt bad for the girl. She must be going through a lot.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

I took a deep breath, and stood up straight. Olette and Pence had been sitting down, while Hayner and I trained for the tournament. Honestly, I was a little scared of not winning, only because I didn't want to let my friends down. I was getting better, but not good enough for the game. What happens if I lose? Seifer and his gang will forever make fun of Hayner and his friends, and me, but... I could care less about these tournaments.

My eyes widened a bit. Oddly, I remember thinking the same thing some time ago, but where? And with who? All I really recall, is how I didn't want to be apart of some monster fighting arena tournament. But where, damnit?

My eyes grew wider as I got poked on the forehead with Hayner's foam sword. I looked at him, and had an unimpressed look on my face. I moved the sword away, and sighed at Hayner. "Still wanna train?"

"Nah, I think we're good for today," he said, waving the sword around. "But let's get something to eat, I'm starving."

I laughed as I agreed. Luckily, I was able to get free ice cream where I worked, so that didn't cost us munny. Munny that we need for the beach.

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

Roxas headed towards the station, and met up with Hayner, Pence and Olette. They looked at him, and smiled, Hayner asked how much Roxas gained from the job, and he handed the munny to Olette. She counted it, and she smiled at everyone. "Nice work everyone! From when we started, now we have..."

Olette stuck out her hand-made pouch, with munny inside of it. "Tada, five-thousand munny!"

Olette handed the pouch for Roxas to see, and she, along with Pence and Hayner, walked towards the station. Roxas followed along, but as he made it closer to the station, he was attacked, and fell to the floor.

Hayner, Pence and Olette turned around and gasped. Roxas got up from the floor, and rubbed his chin. As he started getting up higher, someone grabbed his arm. It was the same man that he had hit with that wooden stick. Roxas looked at him, and he had said something. He questioned what it was, but the man walked away.

Hayner told him to hurry up, and Roxas looked at him. He shook his head, and ran to the station. Once inside, Hayner asked for the tickets, to which Pence asked Roxas for the munny. He checked his pocket, but it was no where on him.

He gasped, and realized that the man had taken his munny. He tried running back, but Hayner had stopped him. Roxas explained that he fell, and that the man had taken his munny. Hayner questioned him about the man, stating that there was no one beside him.

Roxas looked distraught, how could they have not seen the man? The sound of a train leaving was heard, and everyone sighed. They walked past Roxas, and he sighed as well, following them to the clock tower.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

We all sat on top of the clock tower, eating ice cream, and looking at the town. It was pretty nice up here, as it was so calming, and peaceful. Olette was talking about a story she had read, and Hayner made gagging noises, while Pence laughed. I smiled at them, and looked back at the town.

My head began to hurt a bit, and I rubbed it. I looked at the area beside me, and for some reason... I was able to feel a presence... almost like it was left behind.

"Marie, you okay?" I heard Hayner ask. I looked at him, and smiled while giving him a thumbs up.

"Never better!" He laughed, and went on to mock Olette about her romantic stories. I smiled, but I felt out of it. That presence really bothered me, it came and left so quickly. I wasn't able to get a better feel... but wait, what am I saying? How the heck am I feeling presences?

...odd.

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

"_Can you feel Sora?"_

Roxas looked at the town, while his ice cream melted. What did the man mean when he said that? What was he trying to say? Roxas didn't understand how Hayner and the rest wasn't able to see the man that had grabbed Roxas. He was starting to feel weird, and he was starting to feel like something was wrong.

ȶ**  
>DiZ, Riku, and Aura<strong>

"Is it really that hard to make a beach?" asked Riku, holding the pouch that he stole from Roxas not too long ago. Aura looked at it, and wondered what Roxas was doing at the moment, although she shook her head. She had better things to worry about, plus, she was still unforgiving to the boy.

"We'd be giving the enemy another entry point," replied DiZ, who sat in front of his computer. Aura walked over to Riku, who still had the pouch. She looked at it, and snapped it away from Riku. He scoffed, but made no attempt to take it back.

"What about this?" she asked. DiZ turned around, and looked at Aura holding the pouch. He laughed, and commented on how she should buy ice cream with her so called friends that she no longer had. She laughed bitterly and mockingly, and gave the pouch back to Riku, and left.

DiZ turned around, and Riku watched as Aura left. "Objects of that town must be kept out of the real world. You can delete it."

Riku looked as Aura left, and sighed. DiZ noticed this, and chuckled. Riku asked what had been so funny, and DiZ turned around once again. "Your relationship with Aura... you should remember that Nobodies don't have the right to make friends... they're not even suppose to exist."

Riku sighed again, and didn't really like how DiZ was so cruel towards both Aura and Naminè. The two had never met, but Aura remembered seeing her briefly, though never talked to her. He thought about her, and wondered how she was going to defeat her once called allies...

should they ever find and kidnap Marie and Roxas.

* * *

><p>JGHBFIOFJGHOTJHTKLJHYTHGRGGF.<p>

Yay, finally finished the FIRST chapter of New Game.

Gosh, I'm so tired.

**Shadow 1n2:**  
>Aww, thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed them, really I do. I don't feel too good on the job I did with Nameless Days, so I'm making sure New Game has as much details, drama, romance, and action than all of my other stories combined.<p>

**Anna Shiki:**  
>No one ever said this would be a happy ending. XD But maybe, in New Game, there will be a kiss with Aura. But... maybe it won't be with Roxas? Hmmm.<p>

**Lvl-ZeR0:**  
>Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Ahaha, well I don't know how awesomer it'll be, but I hope you like it. It is ironic how they boast about it, but I think it has deeper meaning. Either way, she's one of the suffering, so once she's saved they'll remember her. LOL, I love Roxas. He's so stupidly cute. And it's fine, I rather have reviews with lots of words that one line.<p>

**Lele-the-Greek-Geek:**  
>Yeah, I guess it did. Yeah, her story is a little tragic. And yes! NEWWWW GGAAAMMEE!<p>

**starlightmint72:**  
>Ahaha, well Marie's past story will be first, since it's a very short story. Ten chapters long, and the chapters won't be very long. Kinda like a mini-story. Stella's story will be longer, and completely made up. So I have to haul butt to make it sound good. DX And well, she's still pissed, and that's all it is, really. It'll get weaker as she continues on, so yeah. And thank you! I didn't like the game either, it was too boring.<p>

**HopeReincarnated:**  
>Thank you! It's actually a mixture of both. You see, KH2 is when Sora starts to have feelings for Kairi, so I want that to be a rising dilemma between Sora and Marie. But since Marie can't remember Sora, he can't remember her as well. Ohh, french. Hate it. And thank you so much! it's such an honor for you to say that, so thank you so much!<p>

**Alexandria Volturi:**  
>Thank you! Here's New game, hope you enjoy it.<p>

**SisterOfScarletDevil:**  
>LOL, thank you! It's not as exciting a beginning, but the game starts off slow anyways. So yeah.. Hope you liked it.<p> 


	2. The 3rd day

ARE YOU GUYS READY FOR THE TWIST THAT WILL COME UP SOON? NO? THEN PREPARE!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>  
>ȶ<strong><br>The 3****rd**** day  
><strong>

"_Or are you too cool to play them now that you have the Keyblade?"_

"_Riku? What are you doing here?"_

"_Where are Donald, Goofy, and Mar—"_

"_Instead of looking for them, you should be worrying about her."_

A petite girl appeared in his dream, a girl with blonde hair wearing a white dress. He asked who she was, and she turned around. He looked at him, and gave him a smile.

Roxas woke up, and looked out of the window. He quickly turned around, however, as he felt like someone was watching him. He shook his head, and looked back out into the window. He got up, and got dressed to meet up with his friends at the usual spot.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

"And exactly why do you two keep fighting?" I asked, looking at Seifer as he ate his ice cream. "It's like this brotherly rival type of thing. At first I thought it was cute, but now it's getting annoying. Can't you two stop?"

"Hayner is no brother to me," Seifer replied coldly. He ranted on and on about how there were so many things wrong with Hayner, and I had to sit there and listen to it all. Sometimes I hated working at the ice cream shop, just because other people would come and spill their problems on my shoulders. And then at the end of the day, I start feeling bad about bob whatshisname, and Louie whoknowswhat.

But at the same time, seeing Hayner and Seifer fight reminded me of a these two other boys who were friendly rivals. I just couldn't remember their names... or faces.

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

As Roxas walked towards the station, he noticed his friends Pence and Olette walking towards him. He turned around and greeted them, and Olette greeted him back as well.

They walked up closer to him, but they suddenly stopped, and Roxas noticed. He ran up to his friends, but he was suddenly stopped by a blonde girl wearing a white dress. She smiled at him, and placed her hands behind her back. "Hello, Roxas."

"Uh.. Hi," he replied. He scratched the back of his head, and looked at her with a confused expression. "And you are...?"

she stopped him from talking, as she placed her hand in front of him. She smiled, and looked at him. "I wanted to meet you at least once."

"Me?" he asked, confused even further. She smiled and told him yes, and looked around. She turned her back to him, and walked towards the mansion. Roxas scratched the back of his head, and suddenly Pence and Olette began walking again.

"Olette dragged me along to go shopping," he moaned. Olette asked Roxas if he wanted to come along, but he was completely out of it, and asked if they saw the girl. Olette laughed, and noticed he was stalling. She ignored it, and told him to meet up with them later.

Roxas turned around, and noticed that the girl had indeed gone to the mansion. He followed her towards the woods, but then he began to noticed a dark circle appear in front of him. As he took a closer look, he noticed white crawling things came out of the circle, and one of them even tried to grab him. He resisted, and ran away from them.

As he ran away from the monsters, another dark portal opened up, and from it, appeared Aura.

ȶ

As Roxas ran away from the monster, he stopped at the sandlot as he heard Seifer calling him a chicken wuss. He stopped however, as he noticed monsters appearing. He had no time to be making fun of Roxas, and instead, told him to find a weapon. As he found the foam sword lying on the floor, he picked it up, and began fighting the monster.

However, he soon found it impossible to defeat it, and found out that Seifer and his gang had gone completely frozen. He looked around, and noted to himself that things had gone from bad, to worse.

But from the far corner, appeared a voice. "Roxas, use the Keyblade!"

He looked around, and noticed the same girl he saw before stare at him from a bridge across from him. She looked at him intently, and as a monster started to run up to him, he blocked the attack while closing his eyes. After that, he was suddenly transported else where.

As the girl stared at the sandlot, she stopped as she turned her head to her left. She smiled, and looked at the approaching girl. She walked a little further from the bridge, and faced the girl approaching her. "So, we finally meet... Merixa."

As she smiled, Aura stood before her, with a serious and cold look. "Naminè, you can call me Aura. Merixa died a long time ago.."

ȶ**  
>Station of Serenity<strong>

Roxas looked around, and noticed that he was in the middle of nowhere. He was standing on a pillar, with pictures of people whom he had seen in his dreams. He looked up, however, and noticed that a sword, a shield, and a staff appeared before him. As Roxas approached the sword, he grabbed it, and suddenly, it had turned into the Keyblade.

As he turned around, he noticed that the monsters that he previously saw, had returned. He prepared himself, and raised his blade as he begun to fight the mysterious enemies.

ȶ**  
>Aura and Naminè<strong>

"I've heard a lot about you from Riku," stated Naminè. "I also know that you are friends with Roxas, which I find comforting."

"We _were_ friends," replied Aura. "But that's besides the point, I guess."

Naminè smiled at Aura, and looked into the sky. "I was asked to take care of Roxas, but I can't picture anyone but you who can do that job. I looked into his memories, and most of them, if not all, were of you, Aura."

Aura's eyebrows furrowed together, but then suddenly her forehead began crease. She couldn't deny that her memories were all of Roxas as well, but she was just not in the right state of mind to forgive him. As much as she wanted to just run up to him and hug him, she couldn't, because he was necessary for Sora to wake up.

And if Sora woke up, Marie would remember, thus the whole world returning to how it used to be. _Sort of. _The whole point was, that as long as Marie was kept from harm and kept happy, Aura couldn't complain. After all, DiZ made it perfectly clear that she was never suppose to exist.

But she really hated it, she really hated following orders. She just wanted to ignore everything, and live a happy life with Roxas, and her best friend; Axel. But that wasn't possible, since she was also needed in Xemnas' plan.

"I _can't_ take care of him," Aura replied, looking away. "I have to take care of Marie, and make sure she is safe. She is my top priority, after all."

Aura then lowered her face, and wavered her chin. "But it does hurt that he won't remember me once he's back with Sora... all those memories... all that time."

"Don't worry, Aura," reassured Naminè. "Roxas will never forget about you. You're important to him, now, and forever. Perhaps he needs a little reminding of that..."

Aura looked at the petite girl, and tilted her head in confusion at her. "What are you talking about?"

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

I finished work early, and I walked towards the sandlot. There was nothing like sitting on the benches of the sandlot after a hard day at work, and it was what I needed.

As I sat down, however, I was bothered by the disciplinary team that consisted of Rai, Fuu, Vivi, and of course their leader, Seifer. Can't I ever get a break? Just one, please?

"What are you doing here?" asked Seifer, geez, this isn't his lot alone. But I guess a bully like him will never understand that.

"Taking a rest, I just finished work," I replied, stretching my legs. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Keeping an eye on the town, y'know," replied Rai. He always had an annoying habit of adding, "y'know" to everything he said, but I managed to get used to it, but it's still annoying nonetheless.

There was a little bit of silence between all of us, until something really fast and white passed around us. I gasped out of fear, and got up quickly. Seifer, Rai, Fuu and Vivi got into fighting stances, while I stood in the middle of them, trying not to scream like a little girl.

As the white things spun faster and faster around us, I suddenly got a big headache. I couldn't control the pain, and I literally screamed out as it started hurting more. I could tell Seifer and his friends turned around, but the sound of their feet shuffling, but as soon as I could look at them, I fell to the floor.

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

As Roxas walked further and further into the stations, he came across the last room. He looked around, and noticed that everything was too quiet. When he stopped looking around, he began to hear a rumbling noise, and suddenly a giant monster appeared in front of him. The Keyblade came back in his hand, and he held onto it tightly. He didn't know how he was going to fight off a _huge _looking monster like the one in front of him, but he had to at least believe.

As the monster looked at him, it raised it's arm, and swung it towards Roxas. He gasped, and covered his face with his arms. As he soon realized that nothing had attacked him, he removed his arms from his face, and saw a girl wearing blue standing in front of him.

She had what appeared to be two Keyblades in each of her hands, and her back was faced towards him. He raised his eyebrows, and walked beside her. As he did, he noticed she was wearing her hoodie, which prevented him from seeing her face.

"W-Who are you?" he asked, trying to get a closer look of her face. "What's going on?"

She slightly turned her head towards him, and no emotion was shown. She willed away her Keyblades, and faced him head-to-toe. It was hard for him to tell who she was, but her overall appearance was familiar to him.

"Don't show it mercy," she said. Her voice was low, but enough to him to hear it. Her voice had sounded familiar as well, and he really wanted to know who she was.

"But who are you?" he asked.

"A nobody," she replied. She faced the other way, and disappeared into a dark portal. He watched as she did, and he creased his forehead while down-turning his mouth. For some reason, he didn't want her to leave...

But he shook his head, and looked at the monster before him. He knew what he had to do, and it was thanks to the girl he had just seen.

ȶ**  
>Aura and Naminè: before Roxas' station of Serenity<strong>

"I don't like how he has forgotten about you," said Naminè, who looked down in shame. "And I don't like how I was the one who did it."

"Naminè..." Aura looked at her, and sighed. She didn't like it either, but she didn't want to get too involved. Bad things happened when she was, and she had to learn not to get dependent on things. She had to be detached if she wanted to survive.

"I want you to at least see him once, like I did," replied Naminè. "Let him know you're well, let him know you're still around."

Aura looked away, and tried to resist the urge of crying. She took a deep breath, and reverted back into her cold self. She looked at Naminè, and nodded at her. "I will, but do me the favour, and take care of him. I can't do it, and I trust no one but you. You are close to him through Sora... and through Kairi."

The petite girl nodded, and Aura placed the blue hoodie on herself, making sure that Roxas was not able to see her through it.

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

As Roxas finished defeating the monster, it had collapsed on top of him. He screamed, and tried to escape it, but the darkness was dragging him further and further from the light. He extended his hand, hoping to have someone help him, and to his surprise, someone did.

He was brought out of the darkness, and into a room filled with nothing but white walls, and white floors. He looked around, and stopped when he noticed the same blonde girl with the white dress sitting in front of him.

"My name is Naminè," she said in a soft voice. "Roxas... do you remember your true name?"

Roxas raised his eyebrow, and he looked at her. She was suddenly picked up by a man in a black robe. He told her not to say anything more, and she refused. He told her that it was best if he didn't know his true name.

"Hey, your that pickpocket!" shouted Roxas. The man in the black robe created a portal, and Roxas jumped out of surprise. He turned around to face it, and the man pushed him towards it, leading him back into Twilight Town.

ȶ

Roxas laid on the floor, while Seifer, Rai, Fuu and Vivi took a picture of him lying on the floor next to Seifer. Roxas got up, and complained, and the rest laughed. He shook his head, and asked about the monsters. Rai told him that they were gone, and Roxas asked just what exactly were they.

"Outsiders, that's what," replied Seifer. "And if they don't wise up, I might have to take disciplinary measures."

As Roxas turned around, he noticed Hayner, Pence, and Olette standing at the entrance to the sandlot. Hayner had a serious look on his face, and scoffed as he ran out of their sight. Roxas told them to wait up, and Seifer yelled telling him not to chicken out on the tournament.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

As I opened my eyes, I noticed that I was still on the floor at the sand lot. I saw Seifer, Rai, Fuu, and Vivi staring at me, and I began to panic. There were too many people close to me, so i got up quickly, and ran a few steps away from them.

"Are you okay, y'know?" Rai asked. "You fainted, and now you're acting weird, y'know."

"I don't like having too many people close to me," I replied. "It's a bit of a problem I have."

"No, you're just weird," replied Seifer, who was pointing at me. I sighed, and looked around. I noticed that everything had gone back to normal, and there were no fast white thingies circling us.

"What happened?" I asked. They all looked at me, and gave me confused faces. They shrugged their shoulders, saying that I just randomly fainted. But wait, what about?—

"Didn't you guys see any white things passing by us quickly?" I asked. They all looked at me as if I has said something crazy, which I know I didn't. I remember the white things, but apparently they don't.

"We didn't see anything, y'know," replied Rai. "You just fainted right after that awkward silence, y'know."

"Hallucinations," said Fuu, pointing a finger at me. Seifer chuckled, and told me I needed more sleep, since I was seeing things. I sighed, and dropped my shoulders... just what is happening to my mind? I sat back down, and heard the sound of footsteps. I looked towards the entrance of the sandlot, and noticed Hayner, Pence and Olette running towards me. Seifer, Rai, Fuu and Vivi walked away, and I raised my eyebrow.

"Marie!" shouted Olette. "Are you okay? Vivi came running to us saying you fainted!"

"What do they make you do at work?" asked Hayner, obviously blaming my work for my fainting, which isn't true. I do nothing at work except loaf around, which I know I shouldn't but...

I know this is something concerning me and my memories, but I don't want anyone to worry about it, so I'll just agree. I looked over to Hayner and the others, and sighed. "Maybe I'm working myself to hard, I think I should sleep."

"Yeah, you should!" said a stern Olette. "Or else you won't be able to even lift the foam sword for tomorrow's tournament!"

Hayner agreed, and lifted me up from the benches as he pushed me towards Olette's house. Pence and Olette laughed, and I was trying not to fall from his pushing. Eventually he stopped, and we walked over to Olette's house.

ȶ**  
>Kingdom Hearts<strong>

She looked at the screen, and watched as Marie and her friends walked her to Olette's house. The man in the back sighed, and dropped his shoulders. "That was a close one..."

"Yeah," she replied. "Any contact with the organization or it's goons will lead her to remember before Sora wakes up, and that's no good."

"This is hard," replied the man. "There are so many things that could make her remember, but the right way is taking forever."

"Just be patient, my sweet," replied the women. "After all, we've waited a long time for everything."

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

Roxas walked to the usual spot, and sighed as everyone else looked at him with a disappointed look on his face. Pence asked if he had hung out with Seifer's gang, and Roxas told them it wasn't like that.

He shook his head, and looked towards Hayner. "Oh yeah, how was the beach? Wasn't that today?"

Olette looked at Roxas, a bit sad. "We didn't go. It wouldn't be the same without you, right?"

"...Sorry," replied Roxas, looking down at the floor. He dropped his shoulders, but then realized that they could all go the next day. "Hey... how 'bout we go tomorrow?"

"I promised I'd be somewhere," Hayner replied rather coldly. Roxas lowered his head, and remembered the promise he and Hayner made about the tournament that would happen the next day. A little silence passed the room, and Hayner finally told the gang he was leaving.

The room was then filled with awkwardness and disappointment.

ȶ**  
>DiZ and Riku<strong>

"Was that Naminè made of data?" asked Riku, who was looking at the computer screen in front of DiZ.

"No... Naminè hijacked the data herself," replied DiZ. "Look what she's done now, she's totally beyond my control!"

DiZ punched the keyboard beside him, and Riku told him to calm down. DiZ told him it didn't matter what happened to Roxas, as long as Naminè finished her goal. Riku looked at DiZ for a moment, and didn't like what he had heard. True, it didn't matter...

But what about Aura?

ȶ**  
>The 4<strong>**th**** day**

_"It is said that only the Keyblade master can open the secret door, but long ago something happened. That secret door gave it's heart, soul, and power to a girl, and now only she's able to open the door. She is it's protector." _

"_But I'm not gonna betray Sora, either."_

"_All for one, one for all?"_

"_It is I, Ansem."_

_"There's no way you're taking their hearts!" _

"_Mar—"_

"_...Kairi."_

"_Don't ever forget, wherever you go... I'm always with you."_

Roxas woke up the next day, and sighed. Today was the tournament, and he had made a promise. He looked over to his clock, and his eyes widened...

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

Dammit, I'm late!

I'm incredibly late for the tournament! Ugh, this is what I get for deserving a good sleep, now I have to suffer for it! Argh!

As I quickly slipped into my clothes, I noticed that I didn't tie my hair up, but oh well, there's no time! I ran out for the door, and ran like heck towards the sandlot! I didn't want Hayner to be mad or anything, we all made a promise to try and win, and I made a promise to myself that I would try and remember by fighting.

As I made my way into the sandlot, I noticed the announcer getting up on stage. I stopped, caught my breath, and watched as the announcer gave his speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen, struggle-fiends of Twilight Town!" he said, happily as he could. "It's time for summer's most sizzling clash! That's right! Today is the day for the Struggle and title match!"

The announcer went on saying who was going to take home the big belt, and beat Setzer. I heard Rai shout out Seifer's name, while Pence and Olette shouted both mine and Hayner's name.

Then I heard a bunch of girls yell out Setzer's name... and he came out greeting the town. I don't see the big deal about him, or this tournament... but I have to join, for the sake of my memory. As everyone cheered,i heard fire works, and shouting. Although I hate tournaments, I love how everyone is so involved in it.

The announcer walked towards me, and told me to line up with the rest of those joining, so I did. I stood near Hayner, who smiled and nodded at me. I laughed, and gave him a nod, no matter what, I have to try my best!

"Hey, now. It's time to introduce today's combatants!" said the scorekeeper. "The two bad boys who struggled their way into the preliminaries, and our very first _girl_ who struggled extra hard as well!"

"Regular finalist and head of the Twilight Town Disciplinary committee: Seifer!" said the scorekeeper. "An underground favourite and local attitude problem: Hayner! It's his first trip to the finals!"

I clapped and cheered when I heard Hayner's name, as well as laughed. I'm all for cheering at tournaments, I just hate joining them.

"And our last struggler," continued the scorekeeper.

"The best worker at the ice cream shop, and with a sweet, yet bitter personality: Marie!"

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

"Completely out of nowhere—who knew he'd make it so far _this_ year? Vivi!"

"And struggler number four, who happens to be my absolute favourite customer: Roxas!"

Roxas looked over at Hayner, who didn't bother to look back. Roxas looked away, and felt horrible about the other day, but it wasn't his fault. As the scorekeeper stopped talking, everyone who was joining read over the rules. The first to fight were Roxas and Hayner, which Roxas didn't like very much.

As they both got on stage, Roxas looked at Hayner with an apologetic look. "Hey, listen.. sorry about yesterday.."

"What, you still worried about that?" asked Hayner. "You need to learn to let that stuff go."

Roxas told him he had a lot of stuff on his mind, and Hayner apologized for not being understanding. Hayner laughed though, and told Roxas he was sorry he was going to beat him. Roxas smirked, and they both prepared for the fight.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

I blocked an attack from Hayner, and ran away so I wouldn't get hit. I didn't know I was going to fight against Hayner first, and it caught me off guard. But nonetheless, I had to fight like I was fighting for my life or something, that way I would be able to remember some things, hopefully.

As Hayner came up to attack me, I immediately jumped out of the way, and I landed perfectly! How great was that! I did it so nicely! I laughed, and Hayner raised his eyebrows. He smirked, and attacked me, which I didn't block in time. I got up quickly, and I attacked him in time. He dropped some of his orbs, and I ran as fast as I could to grab them.

As Hayner got up, he ran towards me and attacked. Without having to prepare, and it was almost instinct, I did a back flip. As I got back up, I looked at Hayner, who looked mighty surprised. I wanted to take the chance to attack him, but that would be sneaking, so I grunted, and he looked at me. We went back to fighting, and I managed to attack him a couple of times, stealing a lot of orbs.

I noticed that he didn't have a lot left, and I noticed my adrenaline pumping up. I ran a little faster, and circled him for a bit. I knew what his moves were from the practice fights that we had, so this was already in the bag.

I attacked him a couple of times, getting those orbs. He stumbled a bit, but tried attacking me. I managed to duck, and with it, I attacked his stomach. He dropped the last few orbs, and I picked them up. I heard the bell ring, and the score keeper ran up to grab my hand. "And the winner is..."

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

"Roxas!" said the scorekeeper. "Not even friendship can slow this kid down!"

"I lost! Aww, I can't believe it!" Hayner groaned, and got up slowly. He scratched the back of his head, and smirked at Roxas. "Guess I taught you well."

Seifer walked onto the stage, and Vivi did as well. Roxas noticed something wrong with the small boy, as he made a weird giggling noise. As soon as the bell rang, Vivi went straight to fighting Seifer. Both Hayner and Roxas looked surprised, and Hayner even commented on how Vivi suddenly had gotten so tough.

Seifer managed to make Vivi drop an orb, and as soon as he did, he ran straight for it. However, in a blink of an eye, Vivi came back, and delivered a devastating blow to Seifer.

"I-i'm not sure what just happened," said the scorekeeper. "But the winner is... Vivi!"

Seifer walked down from the stage, and walked towards Roxas. "That's not Vivi."

Roxas looked at him, and questioned what he said. Seifer made no attempt to explain, and only told him to deal with it. Roxas looked over to Vivi as he stared with a blank face.

The next tournament, which was the final one, was with Vivi. Seifer had dropped out, making Hayner come in third, which he was thrilled about. Roxas, however, felt something odd from Vivi.

As the two combatants placed themselves on the stage, Roxas looked at Vivi. He blinked for a moment, and suddenly, Vivi changed into a girl with blonde hair and green eyes. Her hair was down and wavy, and she was wearing a salmon coloured loose sweater, with blue shorts. She had pink running shoes on, and she stood there with the foam sword, smiling at Roxas.

He blinked his eyes again, and noticed Vivi standing in front of him. What was going on? Roxas thought. Just who was that girl?

ȶ**  
>DiZ and Riku<strong>

DiZ looked at the computer screen, and his eyes widened a bit in surprised. Riku looked at the screen as well, and noticed that Marie appeared on it for a moment.

"What was that..?" asked Riku, surprised and shocked that she had appeared on the screen.

"it appears that they are connecting; Roxas and Marie," replied DiZ. "It also means that Sora will awaken soon. If we can get those two to meet, maybe it'll speed Sora's awakening."

"But wouldn't that be dangerous to Marie?" asked Riku. "What if she remembers before Sora wakes up? She could suffer with not knowing Sora at all."

"Yes, you're right. Stella did warn us that should Marie wake up before Sora, it could lead her to forget Sora permanently," reminded DiZ. "But perhaps there is a way..."

DiZ looked at his screen, and typed in some words and searched up some things concerning Roxas and Marie. He was positive that if Roxas at least saw Marie, it would spark something. He didn't like how Marie was at risk of forgetting Sora if she remembered early, of course it was understandable. Marie was like Sora, and the only difference was that one was awake, while the other slept. Stella had warned both DiZ and Riku that if Marie woke up before she could place Sora in her memories, a cross error would occur, and Marie would permanently forget Sora. Although, DiZ wondered if the same would occur to Sora.

Nonetheless, DiZ knew the dangers, and he didn't want to risk anything. He knew Sora was the reason why Marie woke up from her imprisonment at Hollow Bastion, or what DiZ remembered as Radiant Garden. So in terms of Marie, DiZ placed her care in Sora.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

I looked at Seifer, who was so concentrated on winning. I gave him a smile, hoping he would take it as a sign that there would be no harm done after the battle. I lifted my foam sword, and pointed it at Seifer. He took the chance to strike first, which I managed to block. He came right after the first attack, and again, I blocked it. He stood back for a moment, and I took this as a chance to attack back as well. I ran towards him, and attacked him. He blocked it, however, but I didn't give him time to step back as I rolled onto the floor all the way behind him. I attacked him twice, and I immediately stepped back.

I looked at myself in amazement, I never knew all this training actually pulled off! I felt so in tune with my moves, all of a sudden, as if they were executed before any of this training.

I looked over at Seifer, and he ran towards me, growling as he did. I couldn't stop the attack, as I fell backwards, but I did manage to trip him. I hit him once with the stick, and he got back up. I knew I had just _a little_ more orbs than he did, and all I had to do was wait for the timer to finish so I could win.

Hayner was in third place, and it all depended on either Seifer or me to win the tournament. I wasn't going to give up, since I don't want to disappoint my friends. I looked over to Seifer, and he came rushing towards me. I gasped, and quickly got out of the way, as I peered quickly, I noticed there was a chance to strike Seifer and win this thing, so I did.

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

As Roxas prepared to attack Vivi, he noticed everything had stopped. Everyone was frozen still, nobody moved an inch... except for Vivi and Roxas himself. As he took a closer look at Vivi, he noticed he began to change. Roxas prepared himself, and watched as he changed into those white monsters. He grew furious that these monsters were attacking him relentlessly, but he had to get rid of them nonetheless.

Roxas attacked one of them, and blocked the attack from one of them. He did a reversal on one of them, and managed to get rid of one of them. He attacked the other twice, and it fell as well.

Roxas looked at the last remaining monster, and growled at it. He ran up to it while screaming, and attacked it ferociously. As Roxas bent down to catch his breath from the fighting, he looked around. Everyone was still frozen, but then he began to hear clapping.

He quickly turned around, and noticed a thin man in a black robe clapping at him. He was wearing his hood, which covered his face. "Roxas. All right," he said. "Fight fight fight."

Roxas watched carefully as the man approached him, and didn't make any rash moves. The man looked at him, and stopped just a few inches away from him. "You really don't remember? It's me, you know, Axel."

The man took off his hood, and out revealed a man with fiery bright red hair that was spiked. He has bright turquoise eyes, that were small and narrow. Roxas repeated his name in an asking manner, and Axel scoffed, amazed at how he couldn't remember. He took out his weapons, and Roxas looked at him in surprise.

"Wait a sec, tell me what's going on!" asked Roxas. Axel looked around, and noticed that the town was DiZ's creation. It also meant, that he had no time for questions and answers.

"You're coming with me, conscious or not," replied Axel. He prepared himself in his fighting stance. "Then you'll hear the story."

As Roxas stepped back, he noticed that he bumped into thin air. His surrounding began to wave, and Axel cursed to himself at what was going on. Roxas looked around, and growled. He looked at his Keyblade, and threw it towards Axel while shouting. "What's going _on_!_"_

As Roxas watched the Keyblade disappear, he noticed it returned back to his hand. Axel looked at him, standing straight this time. "Number 13. Roxas. The Keyblade's chosen one."

Roxas looked at his Keyblade one last time, and looked at Axel, annoyed about everything that had been happening so far. "Okay, fine! You asked for it!"

Roxas ran towards Axel, and attacked him. Axel blocked the attack, and threw one of his chakrams at him. Roxas jumped out of the way, but landed on his elbow. He yelled in pain, and got up slowly. Axel thought the fight would have been harder, but he was sure to capture Roxas.

As Axel threw his chakram at Roxas, it was immediately stopped by another weapon. As his chakram flung to the floor beside him, he looked at the weapon that had thrown it off. Roxas also looked at it, and couldn't believe it.

It was another Keyblade, except in a different shape. The handle itself was black, and it had royal blue ribbons loosely wrapped around it. Axel knew right away that it had the organization's symbol on it, and he knew who the blade belonged to.

A man appeared suddenly, and it was DiZ. He looked at Axel, and called out that he knew it was him who intruded. Axel growled, and threw his chakrams at DiZ. He easily blocked them however, and looked at the young boy. "Roxas, this man speaks nonsense!"

"Roxas! Don't let him deceive you!" shouted Axel. They kept repeating his name over and over again, and Roxas grabbed his head. He closed his eyes, and hoped they would go away, but they did not. As he bent down on the ground, he noticed a girl walking over to the Keyblade. He got up, and looked at her. She was the same girl that he saw at that isolated place, and she was still wearing her hood.

"Hey!" he shouted, extending his hand to her. She turned around as she grabbed the Keyblade, and looked towards at him. He couldn't tell if she was looking at him or not, but somehow, he felt secure looking at her.

"Call out their names," she said. She had no emotion in her voice, and she made no facial emotions as well. "Call them; Hayner, Pence, Olette."

She disappeared as she walked through a dark portal, and the voices began to get louder than usual. He grabbed his head again, but this time, he listened to the girl, and called out the names of his friends. "Hayner... Pence... Olette!"

in a matter of seconds, everything suddenly reverted back to normal, the crowds were cheering, and Vivi fell flat on the floor. Hayner, Pence and Olette all ran onto the stage, and patted Roxas on the back for winning the competition. However, he was obviously indifferent, due to the recent events.

ȶ**  
>Aura<strong>

Aura sat on top of the clock tower in the real Twilight Town, and watched as everyone cheered at the tournament struggle. She sighed, and peered as Marie held the trophy in her hands. Hayner, Pence and Olette stood beside her, laughing and smiling with her.

"Thanks, Stella," whispered Aura. "Thanks for making me incognito from both DiZ and Axel. I can't see him... not yet."

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

"Roxas! Roxas!"

Hayner, Pence and Olette all ran towards Roxas, who had just won the tournament. They laughed and cheered, and congratulated him. The announcer came in, and gave him the belt that once belonged to Setzer, and finally... the trophy. He smiled, and everyone else smiled along with him.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

we all sat on top of the clock tower, and I held the trophy by me. I smiled at it, as I was so surprised how I won. Of course, I couldn't have done this without my friends, so to thank them, I took off the crystals from the trophy. I gave the yellow one to Olette, the green one to Hayner, and the red one to Pence. I took out the last one, which was a pink crystal, but it had a bit of purple in it. Hayner took his crystal, and pointed it towards the sun.

We all did the same after, and as we did, the crystal shone brightly. I stared in awe just how beautiful it was, but then suddenly, I felt something. I feeling of panic passed me, and I looked around, yet nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. I stood silent for a moment, and Olette passed out ice cream bars that she bought.

I took one from her, and ate it quietly. Something was wrong... I know it.

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

Roxas stood up from the clock tower, and laughed as Olette took out ice cream bars from behind her. They had just celebrated by getting their own share of the trophy, with Olette gaining the yellow crystal, Hayner the red, and Pence the green. He took the last one, which was the blue crystal.

As he stared at the ice cream, he tripped a bit, and started tittering off the ledge.

ȶ**  
>Kairi<strong>

"Kairi! Wait up!"

Kairi, the girl who was a princess of light. Kairi, the girl who was friends with the Keyblade wielder, Sora. Kairi, the girl who was taken from her home when the heartless invaded.

She was back on the islands, and healthy as well. Her hair grew longer, and she looked more older. Her friend, Selphie, came running to her. And had asked if she wanted to hang out at the islands.

"Sorry, not today," she replied. Selphie whined, and asked why. Kairi asked if she remembered the boys that used to hang out with them, and Selphie only remembered Riku.

"He's far away, but I know we'll see him again," Kairi replied. She reminded Selphie of the other boy, but she had no clue who it was. Kairi told her that it was a boy who hung out with both her and Riku all the time, and then she looked at the island. "His voice always used to be there, but now it's gone. I can't think of his face... or his name."

"So I told myself—" Kairi said. "i wasn't going to go to the islands until I remember everything about him."

Kairi looked at the island and suddenly.

"_Naminè?"_

She grabbed her head, and looked at the floor.

ȶ**  
>Roxas <strong>

As Roxas fell further and further towards the ground, he tried calling out to Naminè. "What's happening?"

"_Who are you? And that's not my name. I'm Kairi."_

"Kairi... I know you," replied Roxas. "you're that girl he likes."

"_Who? Please, a name!"_

"I'm Roxas," he replied.

"_Okay, Roxas. But can you tell me his name?"_

"You don't remember my name? Thanks a lot, Kairi! O-kay. I guess I can give you a hint... starts with an, "S"."

ȶ**  
>Kairi <strong>

As Kairi laid on the floor, Selphie called out to her, worried about her well being. "Kairi! Are you okay?"

As Kairi nodded, she got up and looked at the islands. She was starting to remember something, and she took a glance at Selphie, before running towards the islands. Selphie followed close behind, and as she stopped when she saw Kairi at the beach, she called her name. "Kairi..?"

She bent down, and took a bottle, with a note, out of her bag. She placed it in the water, and as the tides of the waves picked up, the bottle made it's way further and further into the ocean.

"What's that?" asked Selphie.

"A letter... I wrote it yesterday," she replied. "It's a letter to the boy I cant remember. I said that no matter where he is, I'll find him. One day. And when I stopped writing, I remembered we made a promise, something important."

Selphie watched as the letter went further into the water, and wished Kairi luck in hopes that the boy would get it. Kairi reassured her, and looked at the letter. "He'll get it. Right, Sora?"

ȶ**  
>DiZ and Riku<strong>

"His progress is astounding," said DiZ, looking at the screen.

Riku stood behind him, and held the crystal that Roxas had won from the tournament. He wondered what happened, and asked DiZ.

"Naminè's encounter with Roxas placed his heart in contact with Kairi," replied DiZ. "And that in turn, affected Sora."

"What about Aura, and Marie?" asked Riku. DiZ explained that although Aura had contact with Roxas, she never revealed her name, or face to him. Thus, he had no chance to see who she really was. Although, he wanted Marie to meet Roxas, he didn't want to fear her permanently losing memories of Sora. But he wanted Sora to wake up soon.

Of course, he never really anticipated Kairi to connect faster to Roxas than Marie. From what he had know, Sora really loved Marie, yet all his most treasured memories were of Kairi.

* * *

><p><strong>GOSH. TOO MUCH WRITING. MY HANDS HURT.<strong>

…**..HOPE YOU LIKED IT. I LIKE WRITING IN CAPS. XD**

**HOLY DFJDHKGFKJDHDJFDHFJHDKFDF. SO MANY REVIEWS. XD**

**HopeReincarnated:**  
>LOL, MY BAD! Ahaha, yeah. Lame excuse, my friend. XD YAY FOR NO FRENCH. And thank you! A lot of people are happy that she's back. ….so am I, as well. XD Hope you like the update! <p>

**Fictionalcharacterwish:**  
>Thank you! Hope you like the update! <p>

**Lele-the-Greek-Geek:**  
>Oh you know me so well~ Ahaha, yes well. There is a TWEEST. Though I'm not telling you, and I think a lot of people are going to reeeaaalllyyyyyy hate me. And yes, Riku comes and goes at wrong intervals. Why? I no comprende. XD<p>

**starlightmint72:**  
>Ahaha, and probably because it's not based on 3592 days! I HATE THAT GAME WITH A PASSION, NOW. It's too long, man. But yes, you will be seeing a lot of Marie. 

**Squalls Kid:**  
>LOL, well. Marie is pretty set, I'm experimenting on the couple for Aura. Riku and Aura sound like an interesting one, I think. XD<p>

**Lvl-ZeR0:**  
>Ahaha, hope you like it. And yeah, I do kinda skim through it. Since most of the days are pretty boring, I'll only really want to focus when Axel, Riku, or Naminè are there. Who cares about digital Hayner, Pence and Olette. XD Ah, yes. Aura is a trooper, she suffered, and still she manages to stay sane. I'll hug you~ -hugs- <p>

**TheEvilMonkey94:**  
>LOL, I do too. The game is a masterpiece after all. Yeah! A lot of people get that confused, but they're not in the same town. DiZ made a made up Twilight Town specially made for Roxas.<p>

**Sajere1:** **  
>AWMAHGAWD, I KNOW.<strong> Haha, you know it. XD 

**Anna Shiki:**  
>I wonder, too. DX I guess he is, but they are cute together. And the whole RikuAura thing is really interesting. Yes, I do wonder what will happen with Marie and Sora. Hmm...

**Kurai-Darkness:**  
>Aw, of course I remember you. I remember all of my reviewers. And yes, it's been a long time. Though I'm glad you still kept up. At least you won't be confused. XD<p>

**Ruciro Katsura:**  
>Oh, dear. You're making me blush~ Thanks a lot, though. I feel so happy you think I'm a good author. XD LOL, that girl will never, EVER, get things her way. Why? Because it would be boring if she did get everything. I love challenges. <p>

**Pomegranata:**  
>Oh, well, welcome aboard! Glad to have you! And thank you! I would have loved to be one, but it's a lot of competition, especially for a women. I'm glad you think I added a new depth to the story, regular, "OC falls in love with Sora and everything is happy." is just plain boring. <p>

**ELECTRA13:**  
>Thank you! Hope you like this chapter!<p>

**TheEspadaSisters:**  
>Yes, I wonder as well. And hmm, perhaps Kairi's memories are getting stronger than Marie's?<p>

**SisterOfScarletDevil:**  
>Ahaha, well I'm glad! I hope you enjoy the next few chapters. XD <p>

**dracula-key:**  
>Hey, DK. Nah it's fine, just glad you're still with us. XD<p>

**Shadow 1n2:**  
>Thank you so much! I really hope you stick around with us to read it. XD <p>

**mysterygirl123:**  
>It's fine, glad you're with us now, though! And thank you! I hope you stay tuned for future chapters. XD And thanks, I try very hard in everything I do. XD<p>

**TheAngelFromYourNightmares:**  
>LOL, thanks! I hope you like the future chapters! And yea, I have to add both of them in, or else it would get beyond confusing. My head hurts thinking of how I would have to write <em>that<em> out. 

**Elise Ferrel:**  
>Ahaha, yes, it seems. And yes, when they will meet...<p> 


	3. The 5th day

HALF-ASSED ROXAS WRITING, BUT I REALLY HATE THE WHOLE SEVEN WONDERS CRAP. SUE ME, BECAUSE I REAAAALLLLLYYYY HATE THAT PART.

**BIG EXPLOSIVE TRUTH TOLD SOMEWHERE DOWN THERE, YIPEE!**

**AND THE EPIC I'M-GOING-TO-KILL-YOU-SWIRL3Y-FOR-DOING-THAT TWEEST!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>  
>ȶ<br>**The 5****th**** day**

The fifth day approached, and Roxas hung around at the usual spot with his friends. He was quite out of it, and couldn't really focus on much. He did hear Hayner talk about there only being three days left until the end of summer vacation, and the talk about their assignment. Roxas took this chance to ask about the station tower.

"I didn't fall off the station tower, did I?" he asked, Hayner looked at him as if he had lost his mind, and told him he would've been dead if he did. Pence tried to change the subject, but Olette refused.

Hayner sighed, and agreed to finish their homework. It was an independent study, and they needed a topic. Roxas suggested the weird things that had happened to him, but Hayner refused.

"you know, things have been weird with you and the town since the photos have been stolen, right?" asked Pence. "Well, tomorrow, we're going to find out what's been going on."

Roxas was happy to know they were doing this all for him, and he agreed to get them ice cream. As he returned with them, Pence went on talking about the rumors that had been going on around the town called, "the seven wonders."

Hayner advised that they should split up, that he and Olette would find new rumors, while Pence and Roxas investigated the wonders. They all agreed, and left to go.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

I looked at the crystal in my hand, and smiled at it. Yesterday was such a feat, that I couldn't stop smiling. I was still smiling, but who can blame me? I won the tournament!

I was working today, so there were no plans for fun today with the gang. I didn't mind, though. Since they had work as well. What had caught my mind, however, was how close my birthday was. I didn't know what I was going to wear that day, but I had to find something soon.

As I rested my elbows on the counter, I noticed someone pass by. I blinked for a moment, and he was gone. I couldn't quite figure him out, but I did see blonde hair, and beige clothing...

maybe it was Seifer?

ȶ**  
>DiZ and Riku <strong>

"It was a good thing Stella managed to erase the memory Marie had of Roxas," said Riku, who was leaning against the wall behind DiZ. "she also erased the memory of that guy... Axel, was his name?"

"yes," replied DiZ. "If those memories had stayed with her, she would no doubt remember everything before Sora has a chance to wake up."

"If anything," said Riku. "It appears as if Sora doesn't remember much of Marie. All his memories are mostly of just Kairi, and his friends..."

"I do worry about it," stated DiZ. He cleared his throat, not wanting to show any emotions whatsoever. He cared a lot for the girl, but he had to remain strong and cold if he wanted to overthrow Xemnas. "It doesn't matter, just so long as the boy awakes."

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

Not being able to gain any new rumors, Hayner and Olette joined Pence and Roxas on their investigation. They were all on the train, and Olette decided to take out her crystal. Hayner and Pence also took out their crystal, and placed it towards the sun to see them shine. Roxas smiled, and tried looking for his crystal as well.

When he couldn't find it, a look of utter sadness, and isolation appeared in his face. What was happening? He didn't know. He didn't understand, and because of it, he was sad. He couldn't enjoy his fun time with his friends, because there had just been...

Too many things going wrong. Nonetheless, the investigation had started, and they all needed to be quick on their feet.

ȶ**  
>Marie <strong>

I hate doing deliveries, I really do.

I had to bring a box of Popsicle sticks over to sunset terrace, and this was the really big box. Though, thankfully, the sticks were light, so it made the box light as well.

Anyways, I was already on the train heading to the next street, so I was half-way done. As I got off, I headed towards the deeper end of the street. I had to go to the last house, the one near that waterfall fountain. I really did like sunset terrace a lot better than market street, just cause it looked a little more peaceful. But I liked the clock tower out of everything there, just because so many memories were there.

I stopped in front of the house, and I knocked on the door. The man opened the door, and I greeted him. He smiled at me, and he joyfully took the box. I don't know why they couldn't get someone else to do this delivery, but I guess that's because everyone else on staff loafs just as bad as I do.

"Thank you so much, dear," he said, holding onto the box. "We have to reserve these winner sticks for next year. It's a lot of money to place an order on these darn things."

"Oh, okay," I said, giving him a weird look. I didn't know sticks cost so much to order. "I'll be off now, see ya!"

as I walked away, the man waved and said goodbye. I sighed, and decided to take a break by the waterfall fountain. As I walked there, the air changed. For some reason, I felt as if someone was here. I shook my head, and walked a little closer to the fountain. As I stopped to look at it, I saw my reflection, which scared me at first. These reflection things can sure scare someone alright.

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

Roxas gasped as he looked at the waterfall again, and thought he saw a girl with blonde hair and green eyes staring at him. He blinked, and she disappeared, going back to his reflection. He shook his head, and couldn't believe all of these things happening to him.

He and his friends went to investigate the supposed, "seven wonders of Twilight Town," and the reflection one was on their list. Roxas was always the one to investigate deeper, and when he did, odd things happened. The fountain that he had just stared at turned into a dark shadow of himself, making him even fight the thing.

Or the balls mysteriously flying out of the wall. Roxas had seen them, but Pence didn't, thus calling it a silly rumor. Another rumor that Roxas was only able to witness it's truth was the eery noises people heard in the tunnel, he had to fight several monsters that resembled Vivi, and when Pence arrived, there was just one Vivi.

Roxas sighed, and looked at Pence. "That last wonder wasn't exactly wonderful."

Pence laughed, and looked at him. "I understand, say no more. But this next one's gonna be really great!"

Pence told Roxas that there was a ghost train that past by every so often, so they went to check it out. Hayner and Olette tagged a long, and they sat by the sunset hill, and waited. Olette reminded them that they needed to go to the beach next year, and Hayner agreed, telling them they all needed to gain jobs the moment vacation started.

Seifer appeared not too long, and the gang got up. He asked them what they were doing, and they told them that they were waiting for the ghost train. Seifer laughed at them, and Roxas glared at him.

"Why does staring at you always tick me off?" asked Seifer.

"I dunno, maybe it's destiny," Roxas looked at Seifer calmly, and Seifer merely laughed. He told them he didn't believe or cooperated with destiny, and they all stared into the sunset. He scoffed, and walked away after. Olette reminded him about tomorrow, and he waved it off saying he already knew.

Roxas looked out into the train tracks, and saw the ghost train. He gasped as he did, and he turned to Pence, telling him that he saw it. When they all gave him a weird look, and he ran towards the station, hoping it would still be there.

ȶ

when Roxas arrived at the train station, he saw the train. His friends arrived, and he smiled at them, telling them to go in. Hayner grabbed his wrist as he began to walk, and he told Roxas that he would get hurt. Roxas turned around, and noticed that the train was gone.

The real train approached them, and people got on and off the train. Roxas looked at his friends, and told him he saw it. Hayner grew annoyed with him, and pushed him into the train, so they could all go to the spot.

ȶ

As Hayner Pence and Olette walked towards the usual spot, Hayner told them that they should just write that the rumors were fake. Olette suggested to write about the work they put into investigating, and Roxas suddenly asked about the last rumor.

"Who cares?" shouted Hayner. Roxas told him he cared, and asked Pence about it. Hayner grew annoyed, and left the gang. Olette and Pence told Roxas that the last wonder was at the mansion. They didn't want to upset Hayner any further, so they followed him back to their place, leaving Roxas behind. Roxas sighed, and walked to the mansion, curious about the last wonder.

ȶ

As Roxas walked up the mansion, he took a closer look at it. He stopped, and he was suddenly surprised when he heard the voice of Pence. He turned around, and Pence came in telling Roxas that they were going to investigate the mansion the next day. Roxas asked him what the rumor was about, and Pence told them that there was a girl who appeared on the second floor.

Roxas took a closer look into the window, and all of sudden, he found himself standing in a room that was white and covered with drawings. He looked at the drawings, and noticed that some of them looked familiar.

He looked around, and that was when he heard Naminè's voice. No one was in the room, and he continued to look at the pictures. He looked at one particular picture, and noticed himself standing beside a man with red hair, and a girl with brown hair. "Is this.. me? And Axel's here too."

"you _are_ best friends," she replied.

Roxas looked at the other drawing of the girl, and wondered. "What about her? I've never met her."

"She's your friend, too, a very special one," replied Naminè. "Her name is Merixa, but she changed her name to Aura."

"What makes her a special friend?" asked Roxas, who was confused and curious at the same time.

"you two had a special connection," replied Naminè. "But it's strained, because of the positions you two were in. so don't you want to know the truth about who you really are?"

Roxas told her that no one knew him better than himself, and Naminè agreed. Roxas continued on saying that things had been rather off, and he went to look at the other pictures. He noticed a picture of four people, Donald, Goofy, Sora, and a girl. "Who is she?"

"you should know," replied Naminè. "She's really important to Sora."

Roxas told her that he didn't understand, and Naminè explained. "About a year ago, some things happened. I had to take apart the memories chained together in Sora's heart. But now, I'm putting them all back exactly the way they were."

Naminè told him that Sora would go back to his old self, and that the process affect Roxas as well. He asked her why, and she told him that in order for Sora to be completely whole, he needed Roxas.

"Me? What for?"

"you hold half of what he is," replied Naminè. "He needs you, Roxas."

a bright light appeared, and Roxas sat across from Naminè. He asked her who she was, and she told him that she was a witch with powers over Sora's memories. She told him she didn't know why she had the powers, and Roxas joked saying he couldn't help her there.

"It's funny," he continued. "It's like suddenly, I don't know who I am anymore."

Naminè looked at him, and he continued. "I guess I would like to know... what do you know about me that I don't?"

Naminè looked down at the table, and creased her forehead. She didn't really want to tell him straight forwardly, but she had to. "You.. you were never suppose to exist, Roxas."

As suspected, Roxas grew annoyed, and asked how she could say such a thing. Naminè apologized, and told him that some things were indeed better left unsaid. A light shone brightly, and Roxas began to hear Pence's voice.

Roxas shook his head, and found himself standing outside of the mansion. Pence asked if he saw her, and he told him to look at the window. When Pence did, the curtains moved, and he scoffed, saying they were just the curtains. He told Roxas that they should head back, and that Hayner and Olette were already waiting. Roxas nodded, although reluctantly, he didn't want to leave... he wanted to find out more.

ȶ**  
>Aura<strong>

"Don't be hard on yourself," said Aura, who was leaning against the wall of the room that Roxas had previously been with Naminè. "There's no other way of saying it without being honest about it."

"I know, but," replied Naminè. "I don't know.."

Aura looked out into the window, and noticed the boys leaving. She sighed, and closed her eyes for a moment. Naminè looked at the table, and saw a drawing of Marie and Aura together. She looked at the drawing of Sora and Roxas together, and looked at Aura. "Riku told me that if Marie met Roxas personally, she would remember faster, if not, instantly about herself."

"But...?" asked Aura, knowing there had to be some catch.

"...She risks forgetting about Sora forever," replied Naminè. "So DiZ wants to keep them as far as possible."

"So it's okay if they let me suffer knowing Roxas will never remember me?" asked Aura. "While Sora gets the luxury of having Marie, someone he likes, remember everything about him?"

Naminè stuttered a bit, and looked at Aura without having much to say. Aura sighed, and punched the wall. A small indent on the wall appeared, and she growled. "Well, I'm not having it! I'm gonna make Sora suffer!"

"But Aura—"

As Naminè called out to Aura, she had already disappeared through her portal. Naminè was concerned for Aura, and she didn't know what to do about it.

ȶ

**The 6th day**

"_Those worlds will be restored if we beat Ansem, right?"_

"_You see, darkness is the heart's true essence."_

_"T__hat's not true! The heart may be weak, and sometimes it may even give in. But I've learned that deep down, there's a light that never goes out! And that light.." _

"_Is Marie!"_

"_I'll make you taste ten years of bottled emotions, you loser!"_

"_You're wrong! I know now, without a doubt. Kingdom Hearts... Is light!"_

"_We'll come back, I promise!"_

"_Marie, you're disappearing!"_

"_I think...I'm disappearing just like that door."_

"_You can't disappear! Marie, please! Don't disappear!"_

As Roxas got up from his bed, he looked around and then back at his feet. He sat in silence, until he took a deep breath. "Marie..."

ȶ

Roxas walked into the usual spot, and scratched the back of his head, while complaining how he couldn't get any sleep the other night. When he reached for Hayner's shoulders, his hands went through him. Roxas gasped, and watched as the three of them ran through him.

Roxas sighed, and walked up to where Hayner would sit, and picked up a photo of Hayner, Pence and Olette. He dropped it, and walked outside.

Once outside, Roxas looked at his surroundings, and suddenly, the white monsters that appeared so many time before appeared again. This time, however, a familiar face appeared, and Roxas immediately recognized it as Axel.

"Look at what it's come to," said Axel, who looked at the young teen. "I've been given these icky orders to destroy you—if you refuse to come back with me."

"We're..." Roxas started, looking at Axel. "Best friends, right?"

"Sure... but I'm not getting turned into a dusk for..." Axel's eyes lit up once he realized just what Roxas had just told him, and he smiled at the boy. "Wait a sec! You remember now!"

Roxas told him he did, but Axel, following procedures, told him he needed to make sure. When Axel asked Roxas what their boss' name was, Roxas could not give an answer. Axel sighed, and couldn't believe it. Roxas took out the Keyblade, and he started attacking all of the white monsters that appeared before him.

ȶ**  
>Aura<strong>

Aura walked towards the usual spot that Marie always hung around at, and stopped when she reached it. She clutched her hand, and started breathing heavily. The feelings of pure hatred appeared in Aura, but they weren't for Roxas.

They were for Sora.

Aura couldn't control them, and so she decided to give in to them. She was out for trouble, and the first person she was going to attack, was Marie. Although she managed to keep them in, she has always resented Marie. She didn't like how she was born with feelings of hate for a boy she could care less for, but Aura knew who the real person was to blame, and that was Sora.

His existence was to blame for everything that happened to Marie after her home was attacked. His nativity was to blame for him finishing the second part of the drawing Marie left without thinking over the consequences. He was to blame for making her hate him for that one moment, and he was to blame for Roxas.

So Aura wanted him to feel the way she left. She was going to make Marie forget Sora forever, just so he could feel the pain she felt knowing that Roxas could not remember her.

And how was she going to do that? She was going to make Marie follow her into meeting Roxas. She lifted her hoodie, covering her face so that Marie wouldn't see her. She walked into the place, and as suspected, she saw Marie alone sitting.

Marie turned to face Aura, and she smiled at the brunette. "Hello, may I help you with something?"

Aura looked at her, and smirked. "Yes, you can. Follow me."

Marie tilted her head, and sat there for a moment. Aura turned back, and glared through the hoodie. "There's someone who claims to know you and your past."

Marie gasped, and Aura knew she had her attention. Marie got up from her chair, and told Aura to lead the way. Marie walked a little in front of Aura, and she stopped. Aura quickly summoned her portal, and Marie jumped at the sudden summon. Aura pushed her through the portal, and chuckled.

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

Roxas had defeated the monsters, and Axel glared at him. He prepared to attack Roxas, but suddenly, time froze still. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then suddenly a voice appeared.

"_Roxas, to the mansion. The time has come!"_

Roxas looked up into the sky, and shouted out the names of his friends. When nothing happened, he sighed, and looked down at the floor.

At that very moment, a dark portal had appeared. He jumped a bit, because the appearance was so sudden, and prepared himself for whatever happened. When he heard someone yelling, he loosened his position, and stared at the portal.

A girl with blonde hair and green eyes suddenly came falling out of the portal. She gasped as she hit the floor, and groaned in pain. She rubbed her lower back, and got up slowly. She came face to face with Roxas, and raised her eyebrow.

"Who are you?" she asked, walking a little slower towards him. "You look so familiar..."

"Uh, I'm Roxas," he said calmly. "who are you?"

The girl giggled, and raised her hand while smiling at Roxas. "I'm Marie!"

As she smiled at him, Roxas gasped, realizing Marie was the girl in his dreams. She was the girl that Sora really liked, and traveled around the world with. But what was she doing here? Why was she in a place like Twilight Town? Marie noticed Roxas being out of it, and she called out his name. "Roxas?"

"I know you," he said. She looked at him, and questioned what he meant. He looked at her, and looked intently at Marie. "You're the girl he cares for, the girl Sora really likes."

"Who's... Sora?" asked Marie. Roxas looked down, unable to give a proper answer. But before he could say anything else, Marie began to shout in pain. She grabbed her head, and bent down to her knees. Roxas stared at her, and then looked around as if looking for answers.

ȶ**  
>Aura<strong>

Aura stood on top of a building near where Marie and Roxas were, and she was clutching her hand. She was hearing Marie's shouts of pain, and she suddenly bent down, having felt as if something controlled her. She shook her head, and got up. When she heard Marie's shouting, she gasped, having realized what she had just done.

She placed a hand over her mouth, and a feeling of pure guilt passed over her. Her hateful feelings toward Sora placed Marie in harm's way, something that she didn't want to happen. Aura quickly got up, and ran towards Marie and Roxas.

ȶ

As she ran towards Marie, she didn't have the chance to put up her hoodie. She ran past Roxas, without even thinking about him, and bent down beside Marie. She held onto her shoulders, and picked her up with some difficulty. Roxas gasped, and realized Aura was the girl he saw previous times. She turned her head slightly, and it was enough for Roxas to see her face.

He gasped again, after seeing her face. As she walked into a portal with Marie, he extended his hand towards her. He didn't know why he was doing this, but he felt the need to stop her. As Aura stepped into the portal, Roxas ran after her. "Please, don't go! Please, stay!"

As he ran towards the portal, it disappeared. He abruptly stopped, and he sighed rather loudly. His hands were shaky, and suddenly, he felt a tear roll down his cheek. He went to touch it after, and looked at his wet finger. Why was he crying, if he didn't know that girl?

But in truth, he did know her. But his memories had been erased... so he would never know about Axel, or about Aura.

ȶ**  
>Kingdom Hearts<strong>

She quickly looked at the screen, and noticed that Marie was remembering all of her memories. She panicked, and tried to stop it before she could remember everything. She had just finished placing general memories of Sora within Marie, but the memories of Marie ever loving Sora were still left untouched. The man who had been with her came walking up, and widened his eyes at the sight of all the memories going back with Marie. "What's going on?"

"Why don't you ask Aura," replied the women coldly. "She purposely made Marie meet Roxas, knowing that she would remember. Ugh, why did she have to give in to those hateful feelings now, all of a sudden?"

The women tried to see if she could place the memories in her, but she didn't have enough time. As she placed the memories inside Marie, they kept being pulled out. The woman cursed out loud, and stomped her foot on the ground. She gave a loud and annoyed sigh, and did the second best thing she could think of, and that was to place the other memories in an isolated place.

As the women typed in some codes, everything went calm. She sighed, and sat back in her chair. The man, who had been watching what she was doing, asked her a question. "What happened?"

"Well, Marie just fainted," she replied, pointing at the screen of Marie lying on her bed. Aura had been there as well, but she had left. "When she wakes up, she'll remember _everything_. Well, she won't remember the memories of Castle Oblivion, since I completely erased those."

"What about Sora?" asked the man, who looked overly concerned. The woman explained saying that fortunately, Marie remembers Sora. However, the memories that she doesn't remember, are the ones that involved her ever liking Sora.

"So, in other words, when she meets Sora, she'll just think of him as a friend?" he asked, concerned for Marie. "And she won't remember ever liking him more than one?"

"Poor Sora," replied the women. "These feelings that Aura posses towards the boy are unhealthy."

"She reminds me of—"

"Don't you mention her name! You know I hate her!" retorted the women.

"But she's my—"

"So?"

The man sighed, and looked at Marie sleeping, he creased his forehead, and sat down in a chair beside the woman. "What do we do now?"

the woman crossed her arms and sighed while frowning. She didn't like the feeling of not being able to do anything, but she really couldn't. If she wanted to place those memories back into Marie, she would have to place her in another coma, and she didn't want to. The only hope she had was Sora. "We wait, and hope that Sora has the power to bring those memories back on their own."

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

Roxas had no time to be standing and wondering about a girl he was randomly crying over, as he was trying to figure out what exactly was going on. He had made it to the mansion, and opened the door with his Keyblade, though only after seeing memories of Sora doing it.

As he walks into the mansion, he looked around. The place had been all crumbled, and it did indeed looked old. He walked around the place, hoping to find some clues to where he should be heading.

ȶ**  
>Aura and Riku<strong>

Aura sat on top of the clock tower, and covered her mouth with her hand. She slouched a bit, and sighed. She couldn't believe how powerful the feeling of revenge and hate were, and she really didn't like them. She made the person she was suppose to protect forget about the one person she really loved, and it was her fault.

"Why did you do it?" Aura slightly turned around, and noticed that a man wearing the black cloak appeared walking behind her. He stood beside her, and waited for her reply. Aura sighed, and didn't want to tell Riku, the man in the cloak, about why she did it. They were his friends, too, but she guessed he had a right to know.

"I was born with the feeling of hate towards Sora," she explained. Riku had asked why, and she explained that Marie at one point hated Sora for liking her when he also liked Kairi, and the feelings were strongest when Aura was born, thus making her born with them. She was also born with the feelings of love, but those were directed at Roxas. In fact, both those feelings were directed at Roxas, but Aura was able to overcome the hate for Roxas. But why couldn't she overcome the ones for Sora?

Riku looked down at the floor, and took a deep breath. He explained to her that it was his fault for that, since he had tricked Marie into thinking that Sora liked Kairi. Of course, now he was thinking it was true, since Kairi was the memory that Sora held onto the most while in his slumber. But he didn't want to tell that to Aura.

She scoffed at him, and didn't have anything to say. An awkward silence grew in between them, and Aura sighed in annoyance. She got up from her sitting position, and began to walk away, however, before she did, she looked at Riku.

"I did something wrong, and I know I can't fix it now. But I will protect Marie, and I won't let these stupid feelings get in the way."

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

Roxas had searched around the mansion, and there was nothing interesting to note about them. Of course, that was until he reached a certain room on the second floor. It was the same room he saw the drawings of himself with Axel, and the girl named Aura. And it was where he also saw Naminè.

He walked around looking at the other pictures, and stopped when he saw a picture of himself walking away from a place. He grabbed his head, and began to remember some of the things he couldn't before.

_As Roxas left outside the castle, Axel stood at the entrance. He leaned against the wall, and didn't bother to stare at Roxas. "Your mind's made up?"_

_"Why did the Keyblade choose me?" asked Roxas, who also didn't turn around to face Axel. "I have to know."_

_"You can't turn on the Organization!"_

Roxas stopped grabbing his head, and he turned around, only to face Naminè sitting on the chair across from him. He looked at her, realizing something. "Organization XIII. They're a bad group."

"Bad or good, I don't know," replied Naminè, who looked at Roxas. "They're a group of incomplete people who wish to be whole. To that end, they're desperately searching for something."

Roxas has asked what they were looking for, and Naminè told them that it was Kingdom Hearts. Roxas laughed, and she question what was up. He told her that the question he was concerned about, was what was going to happen to him. She began to answer, but she disappeared, digitally. In her place, appeared the man that he saw and heard many times; DiZ.

He told Roxas that there was nothing he could do to change his fate, and Roxas told him that he wanted to know, that he had the _right_ to know.

"A nobody doesn't have the right to know," replied DiZ. "Nor does it even have the right to _exist_."

Roxas retorted asking what a nobody was, and then all of a sudden, a man in a black coat appeared. He told DiZ that they were out of time due to there being too many nobodies. A portal appeared, and out of it, Naminè came through.

"Roxas, nobodies like us are only half a person," she said, looking at him. "You won't disappear, you'll be whole!"

DiZ grew annoyed with the young blonde, and prevented her from talking when he placed his hand over her mouth. Roxas ran to her, but the man in the black coat stopped him from doing so. Naminè took DiZ's hand away from her mouth, and she looked at Roxas. "Roxas! We will meet again. And then we can talk about everything. I may not know it's you, and you may not know it's me. But we will meet again. I promise!"

Roxas watched as they brought her further into the portal, and he extended his hand out to her. He called her name, but suddenly, the three of them disappeared, and he merely watched. He shook his head, and figured that maybe they were still in the mansion, so he ran outside.

ȶ**  
>Kingdom Hearts <strong>

He stared through the screen, and watched as Marie slept silently on her bed. In soon time, she would remember everything... everything but ever loving Sora. The man sighed sadly, and felt bad. Even though it wasn't his fault, he still felt responsible. He looked behind him, and watched as she walked into the room.

"I still don't understand why you lied to her," he said, looking at her with such sadness. "You told her that were were just the voice of this place, and we have no form. What if... what if I ever wanted to meet her? Meet Marie?"

"We already did enough damage to her by passing the power of Kingdom Hearts to her," replied the woman. "I thought I was doing the right thing by passing them on to her, so that this power would be protected... but.."

"She's suffering.." replied the man. "My little girl is suffering..."

"I admit it's my fault," replied the woman, looking down. "But if I hadn't given her those powers, Xehanort would have killed us both by now."

"And the only way for us to ever leave this place is if Marie opens the door herself, huh?" asked the man, looking at the screen.

"I don't want her to open it," replied the woman. "It'll only cause her more confusion if we told her the exact truth, and I think we would only be a burden for her."

"I guess," replied the man. "B-but you turned out okay, though! Your mom was also in this place, so we should be okay?"

The woman shook her head, and sat down in front of the screen. "Everyone is different, and sadly, Marie isn't as strong as everyone makes her to be."

"How would you know?" asked the man.

"Who knows Marie better than her own mother?"

* * *

><p>Ack, okay. I gotta stop here, or else I'll be tempted to write the whole story in one chapter.<p>

Well, well. I also spilled some beans at the end. But I'm not gonna be any more generous than I was from now on, lol. I've decided that Stella will not appear as much in the story. Why will be explained in the story soon.

**Lele-the-Greek-Geek:**  
>Ah, yes. The fans. Although I don't really like calling anyone fans, just because I don't like the who superior thing, you know? Like a celebrity and how her fans worship her, it's too much. So I like to call everyone friends. XD And porque, indeed? Riku is quite unwanted at times. XD Thank you, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! <p>

**Starlightmint72:**  
>Ahaha, thank you! And your quite welcome! Yeah, it confuses a lot of people. And I was a little afraid of writing this part because of the confusion. But fear not, the confusion will go away soon. XD <p>

**Shadow 1n2:**  
>Aww, thank you! Oh, goodness, thank you for that! That was very nice of you, and I hope you like this chapter. It took me a while, but I hope it's okay.<p>

**Lvl-ZeR0:**  
>Thanks! Ahaha, well actually, compared to her other workers, she's hard-working. XD LOL, aww here, I'll give you another hug. -hugs- <p>

**sajere1:**  
>Close! She remembers Sora, but the love between them is gone! Aura does sneak around and helps Marie behind the scenes, only because she feels the need to so that she can owe her for what she did. And well, he would, but he knows that Aura would be unwilling.<p>

**Pomegranata:**  
>Thank you! I'm glad you think it's not the same old thing like other stories. And thank you, I hope you stay for the other chapters I have coming along. <p>

**Mysterygirl123:**  
>Thank you! And well, I gotta add some drama, and I gotta make somethings stay in the KH2 plot. XD <p>

**Kurai-Darkness:**  
>lol, aw, your welcome! I've been good, a little drama in my life. But nothing too serious. How are you? <p>

**TheAngelFromYourNightmares:**  
>Ah, well. She remembers him, just the memory of loving him is gone. Which is going to make Sora loco. And muahahaha! I hope you like this chapter!<p>

**SisterOfScarletDevil:**  
>LOL, yes, indeed! If there is no drama other than fights and enemy stuff, like it already is in the game, then it's boring. I like life and love drama, it's so deliciously evil. XD <p>

**kingdomdisney:**  
>My dear friend, only one of those things happened in today's chapter. Sora is still a little far from waking up, and Aura and Roxas still need to meet. Still a ways, my friend. XD <p>

**AlexMontgomery:**  
>Yeah, I agree that Game Over was a bit rushed. Lol, I hope this chapter makes up for it. I plan on making it close to 60 chapters. LOL, the tweest has been made. XD Well, I don't think it'll be any more different, just that Marie will be there, lol. Thanks! I hope you liked this chapter! <p>

**InuyaKoneko:**  
>LOL, oh no! I completely forgot I have to think of how Marie looks in pridelands. Ack, fml. And thank you! Stella is quite interesting and complicated, but I'm sure some people will love her. <p>

**Grapejuice101:**  
>Thanks! And yes, it is KH2. XD<p>

**Anonymous person?:**  
>Lol, I don't want to see Yuffie on a sugar high. And I fear the drunkard Yuffie. Thanks! Well, it's a little unprofessional to hate on Kairi, Naminè, and Xion when you are writing a fic. Although I think Kairi is big damsel in distress, and I hope she fights in kh3, I don't place it anywhere near my stories. Well, that depends, if it's Yaoi, I've seen A LOT of Saix stories. Lol. But me personally, I would like to see a OcxSaix story, just cause it would be interesting to see how they make the emotionless mess named Saix turn into a loving guy. Or something similar to that. XD<p> 


	4. The end of summer vacation

Please check out the dress that Marie wears![fill in the gaps]

Www. Swirl3y. Deviantart. com/gallery/29599925#/d3dh0pd

Happy readings!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>  
>ȶ<strong><br>The end of summer vacation**

As Roxas walked around the mansion, he came across a room that had a drawing on the desk. He looked over a bit, and saw that the drawing wasn't complete. Luckily for him, there was a book with the complete drawing next to him, and a yellow crayon. He took the crayon, and filled in the missing lines. It began to glow, and the whole floor began to glow as well. Roxas looked around, and ran away from the glowing floor before it completely disappeared, showing an underground basement.

He slowly walked downstairs and walked into the room towards him, he noticed a lot of computer screens scattered around the room, and a machine to his right. He walked towards the main computer screen, and looked at it.

Suddenly, he began to hear a high-pitched noise, and he clutched his head while closing his eyes. As he tried tuning out the noise, he began to remember something. He saw people dressed in black cloaks, sitting in tall, white chairs. He knew who they were; organization XIII. He was able to see Axel sitting on one of the chairs, and other members as well. They began to disappear, and then he saw the girl... Aura, sitting on one of them. At last, he saw himself sitting on one of those chairs.

In the next image that popped into his head, he saw himself lying on the base of the machine that he previously saw when he entered the room. He heard DiZ and the man in the black cloak talk about how he was going to be placed in a made up Twilight Town, and how eventually... he had to give Sora's power back.

Roxas opened his eyes, and the noise went away, however, he was furious. He was angry at how DiZ easily made him into something he was not, and he didn't like how he was remembering things he never knew about. He looked at the computer screen, and took out his Keyblade. In one swift attack, he broke the main computer screen. He attacked it a couple of more times, and the whole system was down.

As he took his time to catch his breath from all the anger and hitting, a door opened, and he looked at it. As he finished catching his breath, he walked over to the next room.

He was greeted with the same white monsters that had been attacking him all week, and he quickly took out his Keyblade. He was not one to mess with when he was angry, and he was going to let anything that got in his way feel it. He ran up to one of the monsters, and attacked it brutally, and it fell instantly. He did the same to the other three monsters, and in soon time he got rid of them. As he bent down a bit to catch his breath again, he noticed someone walking in. as he did, he stood up straight.

"Simply amazing, Roxas," said a very familiar fiery red-headed man named Axel, who walked in with his arms crossed. Roxas called his name, and Axel stopped. "You really do remember me this time? I'm **so flattered!**"

Axel raised his fist into the air, and a fiery ring appeared around the two best friends. He took out his weapons, and looked at Roxas, who merely looked around. "But it's too late!"

Roxas, unable to do anything else but fight, took out his Keyblade. However, this time, it wasn't the one kingdom Keyblade. Instead, it was the Keyblades that he had donned right after finding out about Xemnas' plans; Oathkeeper, and Oblivion.

Axel looked at them, and questioned how he had two Keyblades. He scoffed, and wondered if it had anything to do with Aura. But he had no time to think of her, or their friendship. Right now, he was dealing with one friend at a time.

ȶ**  
>Aura<strong>

Aura ran as fast as she could around the simulated Twilight Town, seeing as she couldn't just teleport herself to where she wanted to go. The reason that was, was because someone was preventing her from using it, and she knew very well that it had been Axel. She closed her eyes, as she began to think of the encounter she had with the fiery red-head.

_Aura leaned against the wall that connected with the door to the usual spot Roxas and his friends usually hung around at, and she sighed as she looked at the floor. She felt so bad for doing something so wrong, but she couldn't control the feelings, since they had a mind of their own. _

_As she took another sigh, she heard the sound of feet shuffling. She stood on her guard, and listened as the feet kept approaching. When she saw someone in black approach her, she automatically froze, and hoped it wasn't who she was hoping to see._

_But her and luck never had a day where they could agree with one another, for the person who was approaching her, was Axel. _

"_I knew I'd find you sooner or later," he said, walking towards her. She didn't bother to look at him, mainly because she was still frozen from the sudden meeting. "...Still mad about what happened back at the castle?"_

"_You know I'll never forgive what you guys had planned for me," she retorted coldly, still not looking at him. "And why are you here? To take me back?"_

"_I'm here to bring back Roxas," he replied. He looked away, and then at the floor before he began to speak again. " Then it's Marie, and then it's you..."_

"_Why are you doing this?" she sternly asked. "you're going against your best friends... when they're trying to do what's right."_

"_I don't have anywhere to go," he said. "I would rather have you guys with me, then me looking for you guys!"_

_Axel slammed his fist into the wall, and growled. Aura continued to look at the ground, and didn't so much as flinch when he hit the wall. He looked at her, and noticed she was indifferent to everything. She wasn't smiling, she wasn't happy to see him, and she wasn't even emotional. Axel thought that maybe a small smile would appear from her lips, but she was so distant. The worst of it all, was that he knew why she was so distant. _

"_I'm going to bring back Roxas," said Axel. "And when I do,you better be ready to come back."_

"_If you go anywhere near him," she said, uninterested with what she was saying. "...I'll have to hurt you... I can't let anyone interfere with Sora waking up."_

_Axel scoffed, and walked past Aura. She finally looked at him, but towards his back. As he walked further, she took out her Keyblade. He created a portal, and then looked back at her with her Keyblade. "I have to hurt you too... if you interfere with me bringing both Roxas and Marie back."_

_Axel created a portal, and as he walked more and more towards it, he looked at Aura once again. "I'll be taking Roxas back from the mansion... and I won't let you get near him when I do."_

_As he left through the portal, Aura looked at him with a pleading look. Although he never turned back to see her face, she tried stopping him by going through the portal. When it closed on her, she tried creating her own, she cursed to herself when it wasn't coming up. She looked around, and she decided to just run over to where Roxas was._

Aura took a deep breath as she began to run a little faster. She didn't know what went on in Axel's head, but she didn't like it. There was no way he was going to bring Roxas, Marie or herself back to that wretched place.

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

As Roxas attacked Axel again, he jumped back in time to block an attack from Axel. He ran to the side, and threw his Keyblade at Axel, while running up to him to attack him with the other. Axel groaned in pain, and dropped his weapons, admitting defeat.

Roxas placed away his Keyblade, and looked at Axel, who was catching his breath. He looked intently at the red-headed man, and began to remember more things about his past.

_"You get on their bad side, and they'll destroy you!" _

_"No one would miss me," he replied, turning only slightly at Axel. He scoffed, and walked away from his best friend, Axel. He walked away from home, and he walked away from the people who once treated him like family._

_As Roxas walked further and further from the castle, Axel stared at him, and lowered his head, while shaking it. "That's not true!"_

_"I would."_

ȶ

_"Don't you guys remember?" he said, still looking at his ice cream. "I acted like a zombie."_

_Aura laughed, and Axel smirked. They both simultaneously said out loud that he still acted like a zombie, and Roxas sarcastically thanked them. They all laughed, and Axel suddenly talked about why the sunset was red. He told them that light was made up of lot's of colours, but only red traveled the farthest._

_"Like I asked!" Roxas exclaimed jokingly. "Know-it-all!"_

_"Hey, at least I got to say something smart!" Teased Axel. "Since it's usually this nerd who says it all."_

_Axel pointed at Aura, and she blinked until she took in what he said. "Hey!"_

_She pushed Axel, and he made himself fall over so that he could lay on the floor. They all laughed, and ate their ice cream. Roxas felt really happy that he was so far into the year, and nothing bad had happened to him or to his friends. He only hoped that it would always be like this, days filled with laughter and fun._

"Axel..." Roxas said remorsefully. He looked at Axel, who was still there catching his breath. Axel looked up, and smiled somewhat at the young teen. Although Roxas was unable to see, Axel saw from behind him that Aura was standing there, not saying a single word. She was a little distraught that she couldn't stop the fight in time, and she was seeing one of her friends beaten badly.

"Let's meet again in the next life," Axel said. Roxas smiled a little, and told him he would be waiting. Axel scoffed, and black smoke appeared from him. Aura gasped, and she ran towards him. Axel placed his hand in front of her, signaling him not to come any further. Roxas jumped slightly from her appearance, and when he saw her look worried, he turned back to Axel. "Silly. Just because you have a next life..."

As Axel disappeared, Aura walked a little closer to him. Roxas did the same, and as the smoke disappeared, Aura bent down. She lowered her head, and didn't say a word. She was not believing that Axel actually disappeared for good, and tried not to cry. Roxas merely stared at her, and couldn't help but crease his forehead at her. He felt really happy seeing her, but she obviously wasn't happy at all.

He walked a little closer to her, and placed his hand on her shoulder. As soon as he did, however, she backed away from him. She stood up, and he was able to tell that she wanted to cry. He walked a little closer towards her, but she back even further away.

"Aura..." he said, looking at her. She no longer looked sad, but she didn't look happy as well. She had stopped backing up, and just stood and stared at the teen boy.

"So you remembered," she said, no emotion in her voice. "But now you'll have to go back to _him_."

"Who? Sora?" he asked, a little angry how everyone kept thinking and talking about Sora. "But don't you want me to stay? We're best friends... right?"

"I guess you don't remember everything," she said. "You did something that really hurt, and since then, I didn't want anything to do with you. But for the sake of Marie, you need to go back."

Roxas walked up to Aura, and she didn't move. She looked down at the floor, and Roxas grabbed her shoulders, shaking her while he shouted. "But what about me! Doesn't anyone care about what I want?"

"We were never meant to exist..." Aura said in a low voice. "What right to we have to care?"

Roxas pulled away from Aura, and only stared at her in disbelief. He didn't know what to do anymore, and he was getting sick and tired of everyone telling him to disappear. No one cared, no one worried about him, and no one would remember him. And he didn't like that. Aura walked past Roxas, and she created a portal. He turned around, while she stopped walking.

"I cared a lot about you," she said. "But now it's time for me to say good-bye... So, goodbye, Roxas."

"Aura!" shouted Roxas as he ran towards her. She walked through her portal, and the moment Roxas ran to it, it disappeared. He stopped, and watched as dark blue smoke appeared. He bent down, and punched the floor. He took a deep breath, and couldn't believe that the one chance he had to talk to Aura, she went and said goodbye. He lowered his shoulders, and continued to press on.

He walked past another room, and this time, it was a narrow hall, with white pods standing to his left. As he walked a little further, he stopped as he saw two pods with two very familiar people.

"...Donald?" Roxas asked a loud. He looked to Donald's left, and there appeared the other familiar guy. "...Goofy?"

Roxas turned around, and looked at the opened door to his end. He slowly walked over to it, and took a deep breath as he did.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

I felt someone pushing my shoulder, and telling me to wake up. I slowly opened my eyes... only to see my friends, Hayner, Pence and Olette staring at me. I got up from the bed I was sleeping in, and I rubbed my head. I looked at them, and gave them a smile.

"Marie!" shouted Hayner. "Man, did the beach make you sleepy? We're still not done with your birthday, you know!"

Oh, right. My birthday. As I got up from the bed, I saw Olette walk in the room with a dress. I tilted my head, and I saw her smile at me. "We all pitched in, and we got a birthday dress or the birthday girl!"

Hayner and Pence laughed, as they pushed me towards the dress. I laughed along with them, and I held the dress in my hands. "Gosh, it's really pretty, Olette. You guys are the best!"

Olette cleared her throat, and looked at the boys. They looked at her, and Hayner waved his hand, telling us that they were leaving. As they left, Olette looked at me, and smiled while telling me to put on the dress. I laughed, and did so. But as I was, I only had one thing on my mind, was how do I tell them that I'm not from this world? How do I tell them that my home is another world entirely? More importantly, how do I tell them...

That I have a Keyblade and fought to save the world from evil?

ȶ**  
>Kingdom Hearts<strong>

she looked at the screen, and saw Marie in her birthday dress. She smiled at her, and realized just how pretty she looked in a dress. She was sitting down, and decided to take a deep breath. The man walked in, and took a seat beside her.

"So, she woke up," he said, looking at the screen. "Now all we wait is for Sora to wake up, then everything is somewhat back to normal."

"Marie already remembers him, but not as the same boy she did before," said the women, looking at the man. "Poor Sora... if it stays like this, his heart will be broken..."

The women breathed in a deep and shaky breath, and the man noticed that she wanted to cry. He scooted closer to her, and he placed her in his embrace. She wrapped her arm around him, and she sniffed. "I interfered with her memories, because I thought it was best if she didn't have to live knowing those idiot nobodies were there to cause her pain... but look at what I've done."

"It's not your fault," replied the man. "You did what any other mother would do if given the chance."

"This power is a burden, and she's starting to realize it," replied the women. "I'm not going to interfere anymore..."

"...What?" asked the man, who looked at her. "Why?"

"If I do, she'll end up like us, trapped in this place," she replied. She got up from her seat, and walked towards the keyboard in front of the screen. She punched in some codes, and looked at the screen before her. "I don't want her to depend on this power, so I'm going to take it back."

"But what if she—" retorted the man, getting up from the chair in shock.

"She'll have to rely on her natural power, and her Keyblade," replied the women. "Light should be her only strength. It's the only strength she has... since she harbors the power of light."

"But I thought that was because of us," he said, looking concerned. "Since we have the power of light."

"Yes, but Marie has her own power of light," she said. "Just like those princesses, except they're stronger than her. Even if we hadn't given her the power of Kingdom Hearts, I know someone would have used her for something..."

The man sighed, and looked away. He took a seat back down, and the woman continued to input some codes. She looked over to another screen, and looked at the glowing ball that stood at the center of Kingdom Hearts. This was the power that Xehanort wanted so badly, a ball of pure power. It got bigger, as the powers from Marie were returned.

"I just hope she can fight on her own," said the man. "Without our help..."

"We've been helping her since she was born," said the woman. "We need to be realistic... we might not ever see Marie... so we need to cut the cord. She's suffered enough, and we can't prolong it.."

"...You're right," said the man. "As of now, then... we're no longer going to talk to her?"

The woman looked over at the screen. She saw Marie walking around the town in her dress, and had a look of confusion on her face. She knew that Marie was going to have to tell her friends about her past soon, and she sighed. She turned around, and faced the man. "I was selfish for putting her through this, all because I wanted to hold her in my arms again... we were so close to that... but I ignored it, so that Xehanort's heartless wouldn't pass through..."

"Even if you took her powers away, the scent of Kingdom Hearts will always be with her," said the man, looking at Marie. "And no matter what, she's the only one who can open the door. Although you may think it's a burden for her, don't make her forget that she's protecting something that everyone will _thank_ her for!"

The woman looked at him, and she smiled, although with the urge to cry. The man walked towards her, and he held onto her shoulders. "If we want her to grow, then we'll tell her that this will the last time we communicate with her. This will be the last time we help her, and we'll tell her to grow, and fight with her own natural strength."

"I can't tell her that," said the woman. "As much I want to see her grow, I wish she'd stay the same. I missed holding her when she was just born... I missed her whole life... and so did she..."

"Then I'll tell her," said the man.

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

Roxas walked into a white room, and in the center of it, stood a white pod. DiZ was in front of him, and stared as the young nobody walked closer and closer towards him. Roxas no longer thought of what to do, or say. His only choice was to go further and further into the mystery that aired around him. He took a deep breath, and stopped in front of DiZ. He looked at Roxas, and raised his eyebrows. "Finally. The Keyblade's chosen one."

"Who are you talking to? Me?" asked Roxas, looking at DiZ and the pod behind him. "Or Sora?"

"To half of Sora, of course," replied DiZ. He told Roxas that he resided in darkness, and needed someone from the light to destroy organization XIII. Roxas asked why, and eventually asked DiZ who he really was. He only told Roxas that he was a servant of the world, and chuckled saying that Roxas was a tool at best.

"Was that... was that suppose to be a joke?" asked Roxas, who grew furious at the man. "Cause I'm not laughing!"

Roxas took out his Keyblade, and ran towards DiZ, hoping to strike and destroy the man. As he did, he realized that he went through him. DiZ told him that he was only a projection, and Roxas yelled, striking the projection as much times as he could. Dix disappeared, and reappeared behind Roxas. He told him to turn around, and Roxas stared, catching his breath from trying to hit DiZ.

"I hate you so much!" shouted Roxas, who glared at DiZ. He replied saying that he should share some of his hate with Sora, for he was too nice. DiZ then thought of Aura and Marie, seeing as their situation were similar. Aura was a negative person, hating every single thing that passed by her, yet Marie was a very gentle and kind girl. He shook his head, and looked at Roxas.

"My heart belongs to me!" Roxas ran to attack DiZ one more time, but he disappeared. Roxas took a deep breath, and the pod before him began to open. As it did, out appeared the boy that haunted Roxas since day one of his existence...

Sora.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

I walked around the town, and wondered what I was going to do. I told the rest of the gang that I needed to walk around. I needed to get out of here, I needed to go find Donald, Goofy and Sora. I got separated from them after we closed down Kingdom hearts... and then I remembered waking up here...

Speaking of Kingdom Hearts, I wonder what Stella's doing? I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. I called out to her, but I wasn't getting a response. I stopped walking, and I looked down. I felt the wind pass by, and my hair flowed a long with it. I sighed, and looked up at the sky.

_Marie, listen to me._

My eyes widened, and I looked around. I heard a voice, but it wasn't a voice that I recognized. This was a man's voice... I don't remember it... who is it?

_I'm the voice from Kingdom Hearts. What you heard, was Stella's voice. She's here, but she doesn't have the strength to tell you what I'm about to tell you. So listen carefully..._

I nodded, hoping that he could see me. I waited patiently for what he had to say, but I was a little weirded out how there was a male and female voice. Stella told me that she had no specific voice, or a form... maybe she was able to obtain it?

_Marie, from now on... you have to rely on your own strength. Relying on the power of Kingdom Hearts can leave you weak, surprisingly. Learn to fight with your own natural strength, and you will truly be a strong person who can protect Kingdom Hearts with ease._

"What do you mean!" I shouted. I was panicking, why was he going to take away my powers? I don't think I have natural strength... I can't fight with just... anything. I know I'm weak... but that's why I use the power of Kingdom Hearts... to hide it!

_If a time comes where you can't use the power of Kingdom Hearts come, that's when you have to use the strength that's within you. A strength no one else will have. Marie, don't ever forget that you're protecting something that holds great power. The worlds will thank you for it._

I lowered my eyes, and creased my forehead. I couldn't believe Stella and this... man weren't going to help anymore... what am I going to do? What if I'm in big trouble? What then?

_Don't worry, we'll always be there for you. But for now, this is goodbye. You need to learn to grow on your own... without our help. so... goodbye._

"Stop! No!" I shouted. I extended my hand towards the sky, hoping Stella, or that man would touch it. But when nothing happened, and when a breeze passed by, I lowered it. I dropped my shoulders... I just can't believe this...

Wait. What did that guy meant by 'we'?

ȶ**  
>Roxas<strong>

Roxas stared at Sora with a solemn face, and sighed. He no longer was going to enjoy the rest of his days with his friends. He no longer was going to have fun and sit down to feel the sun and wind on his face and through his hair. No, where he was going, he no longer had the option of that.

"You're lucky, Sora," he said, barely in a whisper. He looked down, and lowered his eyes. He looked back at Sora, and had a sad expression on his face. Everything was going back to the way it was, Sora would awaken, and he would meet _his_ friends. "Looks like my summer vacation is..."

Roxas closed his eyes one last time, and thought back on everything. The friends he made all throughout the time he was known as Roxas... gone. He looked back at Sora, and sighed before saying the last thing he would say.

"...Over."

A white light appeared around him, and he closed his eyes as he let the light fill him. It wrapped around his arms, and legs, and soon he was engulfed within it. The last thing he saw, were the images of his friends. Hayner, Pence and Olette all smiled and laughed while looking at him. Axel appeared next, who had his arms crossed and was faced away from him. He turned around, and chuckled while winking and placing his hands on his hips.

The last image, was of Aura. She was in her black coat, and was turned around from him. As she slowly turned towards him, her outfit changed. She was wearing her attire that she wore when Roxas met her in Twilight Town, and she wasn't smiling or anything. She blinked, and sighed. She disappeared, and then everything...

Went to black.

* * *

><p>Geez, this chapter was short in my books. Anyways, Roxas' story is out of the way! Sora has awakened, and Marie has remembered. Aura and Axel have said their goodbyes...<p>

As well as Stella and the man! Oh the tragedy! Stella and the man will not appear at all to Marie and Aura throughout their journey. They might appear to Aura, but they won't to Marie.

Fear not, though. You will be able to read about them throughout the story, since they will have their share of moments in it.

From now on, future chapters will be in Marie's P.O.V. Minus the occasional third views.

**Shadow 1n2:** Gosh, thank you so much! That means a lot! Oh don't worry, I take my sweet time. As you can see... lol Ahaha, yes! I think like that too! It's like all that just to meet Naminè?

**Kingdomdisney:** That's Aura for you, the lovable bitch. XD AND YES, ALMIGHTY GOSH SHE IS! 

**Grapejuice101:** Thanks! Sora remembers his love for Marie, but she doesn't. So it'll suck BIG time. And don't worry, they'll have their journey together. XD 

**TheEspadaSisters:** From what I know, yes they are her parents. From what you don't know, is how they ended up in kingdom hearts. XD Yeah, Aura still suffers with that. She's a developing character, and I like her a lot. And that won't happen for a long time, at least not until the end. And yeah, it sucks. Aura hates how everything goes smoothly for both Sora and Marie, while she suffers. 

**Lele-the-Greek-Geek:** Yes, no Sorie for a while... sorry! Aw, yes. Stella is Marie's mother. She gave Marie the power of Kingdom hearts, so that Xehanort would have to go through her before he can open the door. Sort of like a lock-safe. Stella lied about her not being an actual human, because she didn't want to cause Marie any more confusion and suffering, but oops, too late! And yes, they'll appear in the story, just not to Marie and Aura. And thank you! This chapter is a bit boring, but glad I got it out! XD

**Lvl-ZeR0:** Lol, thanks! Ah, that sucks major nuts. I got sent into the principle's office because I defended a bully being bullied... O_o. Well, to be honest, I did it because I thought he was cute... and because he was my first crush... Awww, don't worry, I'll kiss your knee better. -kisses- 

**Pomegranata:** Thanks, I hope you like this chapter. XD 

**SisterOfScarletDevil:** LOL, YES IT DID HAPPEN. XD Aren't I just a devil? XD 

**starlightmint72:** They are her parents alright. Though their time in the spotlight isn't here yet. Ah, yes. Marie got it bad, and Aura is always there to screw with another person's life. XD Aw, no problem. I'm glad you got the chance to review. Also, if you have questions about the story, feel free to PM me, just so I know what I can answer for future stories.

**Squalls Kid:** I had a feeling it was you... XD Oh, awesome, I shall read it! I do find a lot of one-shots, but some of the actual stories I find aren't all that properly written. And most are obviously written just so the author can word their fantasies, like that wretched story... My Immortal. -shudders- LOL, what a tweest, eh? Well, she named Stella after the name she wanted for her sister, if she ever had one. And true enough! Although her mom's name [or should I say Aunt?] is really nice. XD 

**TheAngelFromYourNightmares:** Haha, yes they are. Though I won't write how they got there. LOL, yes. It'll add to the reason why he starts liking Kairi more. And a lot of drama, and A LOT of fluff between them. AND HUMONGOUS AMOUNTS OF AWKWARDNESS. Aw, thank you! I feel so honored! Lol, I'm pretty tenacious, so killing me is impossible. XD 

**AlexMontgomery:** Yes, I plan to try and make every chapter detailed to the max. I also want to add in a lot of original scenes between Marie and all the characters, so that there's a developing relationship with all the people she meets. Yeah, I figured I would write it now, and then shut up about it till the end so that it makes everyone think in suspense. XD 

**mysterygirl123:** LOL, thanks! Sora will live, hopefully.


	5. A very sad goodbye

To view Marie's Keyblade, please go here.[replace the [dot] with the actual .]

www**[dot]**Swirl3y**[dot]**Deviantart**[dot]**com/gallery/26504272#/d3e59r9

To view Marie's birthday dress, please go here.[replace the [dot] with the actual .]

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/gallery/29599925#/d3dh0pd

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>  
>ȶ<strong><br>A very sad good-bye**

I sat down on the benches at the sandlot, and tried figuring out a way to tell my friends the truth about myself... without making me sound crazy. I closed my eyes for a moment, and could only think of Donald, Goofy and Sora. I really hope those guys are alright, I miss Donald and Goofy like crazy, since those two always had a way to make me laugh. I missed Sora as well, since he was so sweet, and made sure everyone was alright.

I opened my eyes, and I saw Hayner, Pence and Olette walk towards me. I took a deep breath, and sooner or later, I had to tell them about myself. That time was now. As they walked closer and closer towards me, I got up, patted any dirt off my dress, and smiled at them. I took a small breath, and clasped my hands together as they walked towards me.

"Hey, Marie, you okay?" asked Olette. "you just up and left..."

"Yeah, something wrong?" asked Pence. I looked at the two, and they had a worried look on their face. I looked over to Hayner, who had his arms crossed as usual, and gave me a serious look.

"I need to tell you something," I said, fiddling with my fingers. I turned around, with my back facing them, and looked at the bench. I don't know why I was so afraid to tell them that I had to leave, since I was used to telling everyone I met that. But it was different this time, I think. I've been with these guys for a year now, so the memories we had of each other were a lot. I shook my head, I had to tell them, though! I took a deep breath again, and turned around to face them.

"I... remember who I am." Olette gasped, and Pence raised his left eyebrow in confusion. I motioned my hand for them to sit down, and when they did, I looked at them, and sighed.

"I don't live here," I said. Hayner raised his right eyebrow, and got up from his seat. Olette and Pence jumped at his sudden standing, and they calmed down after.

"What do you mean? Are you... are you gonna leave?" he asked, his face now donning an angry yet sad look. I really wanted to cry and hug them all, telling them that I wish I could stay here forever... but it wouldn't be fair to everyone who was waiting for me.

"I _have_ to," I said, placing my left hand on my chest. "My family have been waiting for too long... it's time I should go home."

Olette and Pence got up in a slight shock, and they also looked sad. Hayner looked away, and couldn't look at me. Olette and Pence only stared in sadness. I clasped my hands together again, and looked down at the floor while the silence took over. I heard Hayner move, and I looked at him while he dug into his pocket. He took out the crystal that I won at the tournament, and he smirked at me. I laughed a little, and took out my crystal. Olette and Pence also took theirs out, and we all brought them together. Hayner looked at every one of us, and he laughed out loud.

"I don't want to make your old man wait," he said, while putting the crystal back into his pocket. "So I guess I can let you go..."

I looked down, and Olette took my hand and smiled at me. I smiled back, and Pence came up to rub my back. I looked at Hayner, who rubbed his nose. He looked at all of us, and chuckled. "Besides, it's not how often we see each other, but how often we think about each other, okay? So don't ever stop thinking about us, because we'll always be friends."

"Hayner!" I said, trying hard not to cry. I ran up to him, so that I could give him a big hug. I heard Olette and Pence laugh, and Hayner made choking noises, since I was hugging him pretty tightly. I let go of the hug, and I started laughing.

"Wait here," I said, raising my index finger at them. "I'll go get us some ice cream!"

I ran towards the market area of Twilight Town, so that I could get some ice cream. Although I was sad that I was going to have to leave the greatest friends on this world, I was happy that they understood. We've been friends for a year, but our bond was so strong, and I was happy for that. As I stopped into the area, I noticed there was no one in it. I looked around, and the air around the place felt suspicious.

I literally took one step forward, and I was immediately attacked from the back. I fell down to the floor, and I gasped as I did. As I turned around from the ground, I saw a bunch of white things... they looked like monsters in white jumpsuits. I groaned, and quickly got up. I looked at the monsters, and saw that three of them were present.

I smirked at them, because they were going to get it. I closed my eyes, and summoned my Keyblade, the Winged Heart. When I opened them, I realized that my Keyblade was not appearing in my hand. My eyes widened, and I looked at the monsters.

Crud. This is _not_ happening right now!….And on **my birthday**, too.

I shook my head, and tried to stay focused. Seeing as I how I couldn't summon my Keyblade, I tried thinking of other things that I could do. When I looked around, nothing appeared, nothing but the thought of running away. I took a deep breath, and ran as far and fast away as I could. As I ran, I looked down to my left knee, and noticed that I had scrapped it when I was pushed to the floor by those monsters. I sighed out of annoyance, and looked behind me, those monsters were following me! As I ran from them, I couldn't help but notice something...

My birthday was like, national bad luck day or something, seeing as how bad things happened to me on it. I was also attacked and Keyblade-less when I turned fourteen, and that was the time when I _first_ met Donald, Goofy and Sora.

Though, I _highly _doubt that same thing will happen this time.

Such is my life, after all.

ȶ**  
>Sora<strong>

"Sora?"

"Sora? Sora! Wake up!"

Sora slowly opened his eyes, and still felt drowsy. He had a very solemn look on his face, and looked around. From the outside of his pod, stood Donald and Goofy, who looked at each other and smiled when they noticed the pod begin to open. As it did, they slowly saw Sora's body, until he was in full view.

Sora stretched his body, and yawned as well. He rubbed his eyes, and then looked ahead of him. When he saw his two companions laughing at him, he blushed, and felt a little awkward. Nonetheless, though, he smiled brightly after realizing that both Donald and Goofy were alive and awake. He literally leaped out of the pod, and hugged both of them while happily shouting out their names. "Donald, Goofy!"

As he got up, the three of them jumped in circles while holding hands, and laughed as they were together again. They stopped, and their good buddy Jiminy popped out of Sora's shoulders, and also yawned as he stretched. "That was some nap!"

Sora looked at the small cricket, and tilted his head in confusion. "You mean... we were asleep?"

Jiminy jumped down from Sora's shoulder, and told them that they must have been if they were all drowsy. Goofy asked when they went to sleep, and Donald tried answering. Sora crossed his arms, and looked up at the ceiling as he began to think. "Let's see... we defeated Ansem."

"Yep."

"Restored peace to the world...found Kairi," continued Sora. "After that we went to look for Riku and—"

Sora suddenly stopped talking, and Jiminy looked at him with a confused look. Donald and Goofy smirked at the young teen, as they knew what he was going to say. Sora jumped, and he swung his left arm around as he realized the one most important thing about everything. "**We still didn't find Marie!**"

Sora looked at all three of the guys in the room. Donald and Goofy looked at each other, and Jiminy scratched his head. None of them knew just where Marie had been, and after saving the world, she had disappeared. Sora placed a finger on his lips, until that, too, reminded him of what he was going to do to Marie. He blushed, and Donald noticed. "Ooooh, right. We still need to find Marie so that Sora can finally kiss her!"

Goofy and Jiminy started laughing, and Sora blushed even more. He waved his hands in protest, and couldn't help but laugh nervously. Although he didn't want to admit it, he really did want to kiss Marie, but she had to disappear on him right at the moment. He placed his hands behind his head, and sighed sadly. "I wonder where she is..."

"Gawrsh, well. What does your journal say, Jiminy?" asked Goofy, who looked at the small cricket hoping he had some information on Marie. Jiminy took out his journal, and as he opened it, he widened his eyes. Everyone peered in, and he told them that there had only been one sentence in the book.

Thank Naminè.

As Jiminy asked who that was, everyone looked at each other, and none of them knew. Donald sighed, and complained about his journal being useless. Jiminy gasped at how his journal was completely empty, but nonetheless suggested the boys to search around and see where they were.

Sora and the other two nodded, and they ran upstairs as fast as they could, just so they could continue on. Sora, however, had other plans on his mind. He was greatly concerned for Marie, seeing as how he hadn't seen her at all after she disappeared, and that worried him.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

I stopped briefly to catch my breath, and hoped that these things would just stop following me. I was behind the ice cream shop, and tried hiding myself. What the heck did they even want, anyways? Did I smell like food to them or something? Gosh, why was this happening to me? Especially on** my birthday!**

When I heard some shuffling, I looked around, and noticed the monsters making their way towards me. I groaned in annoyance, and just wanted to defeat them already. I closed my eyes, and tried summoning my Keyblade again, when it didn't appear in my hands, I stomped my foot to the ground. I took another moment to catch my breath, before the monsters got too close, and ran away again.

Why does my life have to suck so bad? Especially on **my birthday!**

ȶ**  
>Sora<strong>

Sora, Donald and Goofy walked towards a hidden place. They noticed that it looked like a hideout of some sorts, since it looked like it was meant to be hidden. As Donald and Goofy walked past the wired door, Sora stopped, and took another look.

"You know, I think I've been to this town," said Sora, who crossed his arms and began to think on it. Donald asked what it was called, and Sora closed his eyes. "Hmm... guess I must've imagined it."

Donald and Goofy looked at each other, and then looked at Sora like he was going crazy. Nonetheless, they walked into the hideout, and Sora followed them. As they entered the room, three teens were already in there, and they looked like they were waiting for something.

As they noticed Sora in the room, they all jumped, and stood up from their seats. Donald and Goofy walked around a bit so they could look, and Sora merely stood in the middle, and moved his head around to get a good look around. When the boy with blonde hair calmed down, he sat back down, and glared at Sora. "What do you want?"

Sora jumped a bit from his cold attitude, and Sora told him he just wanted to know what their hideout was. Hayner told him that it was their spot, and Pence walked up to him. "You're new around here, aren't you? I'm Pence."

The blonde boy walked up to Sora, and he continued to glare at him. "Hayner. Nice to meet you, but we got stuff to do, so catch ya later."

Hayner walked out of the hideout, and the brunette girl walked up to Pence and Sora. "I'm Olette. Hey, did you finish up your homework for the summer? Independent studies are the worst, huh?"

Sora's eyes widened at the word, 'homework', and looked back at Donald and Goofy. They jumped, and shook their heads, telling him that they didn't know what Olette was talking about. Sora turned back to Pence and Olette, and the boy named Pence asked them what their names were.

"Oh, sorry!" apologized Goofy. "We're Sora, Donald, and Goofy!"

Pence and Olette looked at each other, and they repeated their names. Olette told Sora and the rest that someone passed by looking for them. Pence told him that the man looked like he was in a hurry, but he said that he had big, round ears, and wore a black coat. Sora, Donald and Goofy all stopped and began to think on who it was, until Donald jumped. "The king!"

Sora and Goofy nodded, and they looked back at Olette and Pence. "Where'd you see him?"

Pence told them that he was at the station, and Sora thanked them. Olette smiled at them, and so did Pence. He began to walk when Olette started, and they stopped a bit to look at Sora. "We have to go and find our friend, too."

"Hayner?" asked Sora, who placed his hands behind his head again. Olette shook her head as she laughed, and she smiled at him while telling him that they had another friend who was going to leave.

"Yeah, she said she had to go home," added Pence. "Her name's Marie, and she went out to buy ice cream, but it's been a while... so we ought to look for her."

Sora froze at the mention of Marie's name, and he couldn't say anything. Donald and Goofy also widened their eyes at the mention of her name, but they also watched as Olette and Pence left the hideout. They looked back at Sora, who only stared at the entrance. Donald slapped his arm, and Sora shook his head, getting him out of his thoughts. When he looked at the two, he smiled widely, and happily at that, too.

"You guys, Marie is here!" he exclaimed happily, while also waving his arms around and about. Donald and Goofy smiled at each other, and back at Sora. They were so relieved to know that nothing bad had happened to Marie, and that she was safe and well, and in the same world as them, too. However, the king was their main concern, seeing as how he was looking for them.

"We have to see the king, first," said Donald, who pointed his finger at Sora. Sora protested, saying how he wanted to see Marie more than the king. Donald growled, and told him that the king probably had important news for them. "What if the king already met with Marie? What if they're together?"

Sora stopped protesting, and thought about it. It was possible that they were together, and it was possible that the king had something important to say. He still wanted to see Marie first, but he knew the king had the habit of coming and going, so they had to take initiative.

"Alright, let's go see the king," replied Sora, who was already leaving the hideout. Donald and Goofy laughed as they followed him, seeing as the mention of Marie's name made him go insane.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

I ran to the station, and I stopped to catch my breath again. I noticed that none of those monsters came to follow me, so I thought I was safe for the most part. I sighed, however, and closed my eyes. I tried summoning my Keyblade, but yet again, it didn't appear in my hand. I creased my forehead, and I was starting to worry that I had lost my ability to wield the Keyblade. I dropped my shoulders, and looked around.

In an instant, those white monsters appeared. I gasped really loudly out of shock, and found out that they had cornered me. I panicked, as I had nowhere to go, and no weapon to use. I closed my eyes for a moment, and realized that I had been learning how to combat with my fists. I also used my whole summer trying to do cartwheels and flips, so I couldn't let those go to waste.

I looked at the monsters, and raised up my fists. But then I began to feel awkward, you see, I had no problem fighting them. The problem was that I was wearing a really nice dress that the gang had bought for me...

That, and I was going to have to fight on **my birthday!**

I shook my head, I guess I'll be getting down and dirty to protect myself. I prepared myself, and as one of the monster came leaping towards me, I screamed a bit, and blocked it. I looked at it, and I smiled at the fact that I was actually fighting professionally with my fists! As another came towards me, I ducked and extended my leg as it tripped and fell.

I was laughing, as I was having fun fighting these things with my hands! I blocked another attack, and then I began to hear footsteps. I looked over at who was running, and before I could see anything, I was punched in the stomach by one of those monsters. I bent down, and grabbed my tummy. Before I could get up, however, I was attacked again, although this time to my head. I instantly fell to the floor, and my head hit the cement floor.

I looked at who was running... but all I saw was red before I passed out.

ȶ**  
>Sora<strong>

Sora, Donald and Goofy ran towards the station. A weird warping noise was heard, but Sora shook his head and ignored it. As they stopped running, Sora walked a little further. He gasped and jumped a bit as he saw a girl lying on the floor, and he looked a little closer. She was lying on the left side of her body, and had her right hand placed flat on the floor. He was able to see blonde hair, and he wondered who she was. He ran to help her, and hoped she was alright.

He was stopped however, as he was blocked by numerous monsters who wore white. Sora looked at the one in front of him, and couldn't help but feel as if he saw these monsters before. He shook his head, however, and prepared himself while taking out his Keyblade.

Donald, and Goofy also took out their weapons, and prepared to fight the mysterious monsters that appeared around them. One of the white monsters attacked Sora, but he blocked in in time. He was thrown off a bit since he hadn't fought in a long time, and he had to be careful about that. Donald went to cast a couple of ice and thunder spells at the monsters, and Goofy blocked some that were going to hit both Donald and Sora.

As Sora attacked one of the monsters, he looked towards the girl, and noticed she was still out. He wondered if the monsters had anything to do with it, and he realized that the warping noise he heard before might have been them. As he attacked the monster, it disappeared, and Sora ran to attack the other ones that remained.

Donald and Goofy were getting fatigued after a while, because of the lack of exercise. Sora started feeling it too, and he took a breather in between his fights. He was finding that the more monsters he killed, the more appeared. He groaned in annoyance, and looked over to the girl again, hoping she wasn't dead or anything.

ȶ**  
>Kingdom Hearts<strong>

She looked at the screen, and tightly clenched her fists. She wanted to help both Sora and Marie, but she knew she had to let Marie be her own strength. She clasped her hands together, and hoped that the monsters would all be dead soon. She wondered where the king was, as well, since he had been looking for all of them. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, hoping that the king would deliver what she gave him to Marie without causing or bringing up questions and concerns.

The man also walked into the room, and noticed Sora fighting the monsters. He sighed, and couldn't help but see the tiredness from Sora's movements. "Organization XIII plays dirty. They know Sora just woke up, and their attacking him. Definitely reminds me of—"

"Will you _not_ say her name?" replied the woman. "Even after I killed her, she still lingers around, gosh."

The man sighed, and rubbed his temples. He smiled after, realizing the good times he, the woman and everyone else that were involved in their lives had. He wished they went back to them, but that wasn't possible. He looked at the screen, and could only hope that Marie would live a better life than he did.

ȶ**  
>Sora<strong>

Sora attacked another white monster, and Donald fired a spell at the others. Goofy blocked some of the attacks, but they were all getting tired. Sora attacked a couple more monsters, but he was getting dizzy, and seeing doubles made him stagger a bit in his attacks.

He stood and looked at the monsters, but as he kept seeing doubles, he fell flat on his behind to the floor. Donald and Goofy also fell down on their butts, and stared as all the monsters surrounded them. As Sora stared at the monster in front of him, he covered himself with the Keyblade as it attacked. He wasn't able to feel the impact however, as someone else came in and attacked all of them.

Sora and the other stared as the small person wearing a black coat attacked and killed all of the monsters that were in the area. He was quick on his toes, and made sure none of the monsters even laid a scratch on him.

As he finished killing the rest off, Sora jumped a little forward as he looked at the person's Keyblade. Donald and Goofy jumped on top of Sora, as they knew who the person was. Donald stared in awe as he called out to him. "Your Majesty?"

King Mickey turned around slightly, not showing his face to them. "You gotta board the train and leave now! The train knows the way."

The King walked backwards, still not showing his face to the three, and handed Sora a pouch with munny in it. He took something else out, and Sora looked at it. The king had a shooting star key chain in his hand, and he extended it towards Sora. "Give this to Marie, she'll need it if she wants to fight."

Sora took the key-chain, and looked at it. As he examined it a little closer, it lit up, and it formed into a Keyblade. Both Donald and Goofy jumped at the sudden change, and they looked at it as well. The Keyblade itself was pink, with hints of blue and yellow. It had three blades, and a half blade on top of the middle one. In the center of the three blades where stars, and a crystal was present in the middle of the half blade. There was a trigger near the base, but Sora didn't want to pull it.

When Donald saw the king leave, he walked a little forward, and called out for him. They Keyblade disappeared into it's key chain form, and Sora looked as the king left. "The King... was that really him?"

Goofy confirmed that it was, and Donald jumped up and down, happily stating that the king was okay. Sora reminded that the king was in the realm of darkness, and that he was just in the town. He placed a finger on his chin, and then thought about it for a moment. His eyes popped opened when he realized something. "If the king is here, that means Riku's here!"

Before Sora could continue on, he heard someone moan, and the shuffling of clothes. He had completely forgotten about the girl that had passed out, and quickly turned around. Donald and Goofy also looked at the girl, whom they hadn't seen when they fought the monster, and the three of them ran over to her.

Sora slowed down when he reached her side, and as she was getting up, he held onto her shoulders. He watched as she rubbed her eyes, and then rubbed her head. He stared intently at her, and he felt sort of familiarized with her.

"Unngh," she said as she slowly got up. She rubbed her head with both of her hands, and she groaned out of annoyance. She sighed, and finally turned around to face the guys. When she realized who they were, she jumped, and went to hug both Donald and Goofy. "Donald! Goofy! It's so nice to see you guys at last!"

Both Donald and Goofy looked at each other behind the girls shoulder's, and they raised their eyebrows. Who was this girl? They thought. She looked familiar, but they couldn't tell just _who_ she was. Sora merely stood there, and when she stopped hugging them, she stood up straight. He saw her face for a good while, and he smiled so brightly, that he almost wanted to cry.

He had found the person he was worried for the most, and she was smiling at him. Although Donald and Goofy weren't able to tell who she was, Sora knew. The feeling in his heart made it clear to him, and her smile gave it away, as well. He could never forget the bright and happy smile she gave him whenever she got the chance, and because of it, he knew.

He had finally found Marie.

She smiled at him, and gave a small wave. Sora sniffed, although quietly, and ran towards her to give her the biggest hug that he ever gave. She jumped a bit in surprise, and he dug his face into her side, stroking her hair with his left hand, and rubbing her back with the right. They both stood there quietly, and both Donald and Goofy looked at each other as they smirked. They only knew one person who could make Sora this mushy, and that... was Marie.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

I stood there with Sora for quite a while, and I gotta be honest, this friendly hug felt pretty awkward. I was glad to see Sora, but I don't think this dramatic hug was necessary. I awkwardly patted his back, and laughed nervously when he hugged me tighter. He pulled away from the hug, and he smiled at me. See, now that was something that I was happy to see; his smile.

"You haven't changed much," I said, looking at him. I touched his hair, and giggled. "Except for newly added spikes."

Sora laughed, and he scratched the back of his head. He looked at me, and I think he started looking at me fully. He laughed, and then he smiled. "You changed too much! I remember seeing short Marie with short hair."

I laughed, and lightly pushed his shoulder. He laughed with me, and then his eyes softened. "I'm so happy to see you again... I really thought you were gone this time."

I giggled at how mushy he was sounding, sure I almost disappeared, but I came back, right? I clasped my hands together, and I looked at all three of them. "So, guys, what are you doing here?"

Donald explained that they saw the king not too long ago, and I raised my eyebrows at this. Goofy also explained that Sora had a theory that Riku was here, as well. I placed a finger on my chin, and began to think. "So, do we go looking for Riku?"

Sora looked at me, and he smiled. "Yeah, we'll look for him, and we'll go back to the islands. Everyone and Kairi are waiting for us, anyways."

Kairi? Right, the girl with the red hair. I wondered how she was, dealing with the fact she was separated from both Sora and Riku. I hope she's okay, and I hope I get to see her soon. I really want us to be friends, since she's so sweet and caring.

"What are you two gonna do?" I heard Sora ask Donald and Goofy. I stepped out of my thoughts, and I looked at the two. Both Donald and Goofy had grumpy looks on their face, and I looked over to Sora as we both tried not to laugh. They saw us laugh either way, and Donald demanded to know what was so funny.

"Your face!" Sora exclaimed while laughing. He was holding his stomach from too much laughter, and I placed my hands in front of my mouth so I wouldn't laugh any further. Donald and Goofy looked at each other, and after realizing they _did_ look funny, they, too, started laughing.

"What do you say, guys?" asked Sora, who looked at all of us. He stopped laughing, and smiled. "Let's stick together for one more journey."

I smiled at the three of them, having old memories of friendship and laughter pop up in my head was so pleasant. Sora placed his hands on the back of his head, and he asked where they were headed. I shook my head and sighed, I didn't have a clue where to start.

"We hafta board the train!" explained Goofy. Sora remembered, and I shook my head while slapping my face at how forgetful Sora could be. Both Donald and Goofy started heading to the train. When I began to walk, I was stopped by Sora. I looked at him with a smile, and he did, as well.

"Here, take this," he took hold of my hand, and positioned it so that my palm was showing. He placed something on it, and I looked at it. It was a key chain that looked like a shooting star, and I stared at it in awe. I looked up at Sora, and I asked him where he got it from. "The king said to give it to you, it's a Keyblade."

I looked at the key chain, and I began to think. Did the king know I couldn't use a Keyblade? Was it possible that he knows something about me that I don't? Either way, he had a lot of explaining to do concerning other things. He's trustworthy, but he held a lot of things from us...

"Thanks," I said, holding on to the key chain. I looked at Sora, who was awfully close to me. Although I know he was happy to see me, I don't think it was necessary to get _so_ close to me... whatever, I smiled at him, and I started walking towards the station.

ȶ**  
>Sora<strong>

Sora watched as Marie left to follow Donald and Goofy, and he could only smile. She had changed _a lot_ from the last time they saw each other, but he wasn't complaining. It was a good change, and he noticed that Marie had gotten prettier. Her hair was longer, smoother, and a bit more wavier. It smelled really nice, too, like cherries with a hint of apples. She had also gotten a little more taller, but it wasn't much of a difference.

But what Sora noticed most about her physical appearance, was that she looked more feminine. She was wearing a dress, and she had a bit of make-up on. Her cheeks were very rosy, and her eyelashes fluttered. Of course, this didn't matter much to him, since the one thing he hoped to see first about her... was her smile.

Every time she smiled, it made his heart feel light. She had a brilliant smile, and she looked very sweet with it.

But as much as he was happy..._thrilled_ to see Marie, he noticed something was off with her. She wasn't her usual self, and he started to question it. He shook his head, though, and figured it was probably due to the fact that they hadn't seen each other.

He was just so incredibly happy to see Marie, and so glad to have her back to him. This time, he thought, both him and her were gonna go back home... together.

ȶ**  
>The King<strong>

The King ran around Twilight Town, checking to see if any of the members of Organization XIII were around. As he searched around, he couldn't help but think of the encounter he had with the person who called herself the "power of Kingdom Hearts."

_Riku looked behind him, and nodded. He turned back to the King, and as he stared and wondered who the person was, his eyes widened. A women who he was not familiar with popped out, however, she was glowing. "Oh my, who might you be?"_

_"Your Majesty," she greeted as she bent down. "You are one of the people who are desperately trying to rid the worlds of a great evil, and I am here to see that it is gone—this evil."_

_The women took a deep breath, and looked at the king. "I am what you call, Kingdom Hearts. I control it's power, and I see that there are those who seek it."_

_The king almost choked on his own spit after hearing what she was. He couldn't believe that there was someone already controlling the power, and figured that it had a mind of it's own or something. The king shook his head, however, and looked at the woman. "Then what is Marie to you? She has the power as well."_

"_To ensure her own safety... and sanity, I will only tell you that she is connected to me," said the woman, who looked at him seriously. "however, I have request I must ask you to do."_

"_And that would be?" asked the king, who looked at the woman. She reached down into her pocket, and searched for something. When she pulled out what she was looking for, she showed it to the king. She had a key chain that looked like a shooting star, and his initial guess was that it was a Keyblade. _

"_This is a Keyblade that I would like you to give to Sora, who will give to Marie," she said, giving the key chain to the king. "They will reunite soon in this town... make sure it gets to her."_

_The king nodded, and placed the key chain in his pocket. He looked at the woman, and she stared back. There was something about her that looked familiar, but he didn't want to be rude and talk about it to her. He bowed down to her, and she raised her eyebrow."There's no need to bow down to me, your Majesty. I was once a person who lived a normal life, so we are all equals."_

_The king nodded again, and he laughed while looking at her. She smiled lightly to him, and she took another deep breath. "Now, there isn't much I can help physically, but I will help you by saying that those Nobodies are after Marie and her Nobody. They both hold half the power of Kingdom Hearts, and Organization XIII knows that. They will do anything for those two to merge, and to gain the power to unlock the doors."_

"_So you want me to make sure they don't get any of them?" asked the king. The woman nodded, but she told him that he should focus a little more on Marie, since her nobody is more stronger and capable to take them on. The king nodded and understanding, and she thanked him, before disappearing back into the heart of all worlds._

He didn't know what to think at the time, but he figured that Marie and the women were more connected than she made out to be. There was something of a bond between them, since she cared a lot for Marie. He didn't know what it was, but he was curious as to know what it could be. Regardless, he had other matters to attend to.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

As we walked into the station, we heard a voice. Sora, Donald and Goofy questioned what it was, but I knew. It was Hayner who called out to us, and I mentally slapped myself for having forgotten to buy ice cream for them.

Sora turned around, and Donald, Goofy and I did as well. I jumped when I saw all three of them run up to us, and I walked a little forward towards them. "You guys!"

"Hey, Marie, you can't just go without us saying goodbye!" replied Olette, who playfully whined. I laughed, and I placed my hands together. She looked at me, as well as Hayner and Pence.

"We came to see you and Sora off," added Pence. "Even though we didn't know you guys knew each other."

"It's a long story," I replied, waving my hands out and about. "But not only are people waiting for me back home, they're all waiting for Sora, too."

I stood there, and lowered my head. I felt bad for forgetting about the ice creams, and I wanted to let them know. "Hey, guys? Sorry about not getting the ice creams... I really wanted us to eat them before I left."

Olette walked up to me, and she gave me a hug. We both laughed, and she told me it was alright. Pence told Sora that he should buy the tickets before the train leaves, and he nodded. As we walked up to the ticket booth, Sora took out an orange pouch. Both Olette and I gasped, and she quickly took her pouch out.

"They're the same," stated Goofy, to which Olette agreed. I placed a finger on my chin, and wondered why that was. Olette made her pouch from scratch, so there shouldn't be another copy of it since Olette had the original.

I shook my head when I heard Sora ask for the tickets. We all walked towards the trains, and Sora suddenly had a sad look on his face. "I can't help feeling like we won't see this town again..."

Hayner, Pence, Olette and I looked at Sora with a sad expression on our faces, and Goofy told him he was thinking too much. I hope he was right, since I would love to visit this town as much as possible. I sighed, and Olette locked arms with me as we walked closer and closer to the train that approached. It was purple, and it had stars on it. I began to think to myself, and wondered why this train never appeared when I was living in this town.

As I stopped thinking, Olette stopped. I looked at her, who was looking at Sora, Donald and Goofy standing near the doors of the train. I sighed, and wanted to cry... I don't want to leave just yet...

"Okay, let's go!" stated Sora, who was standing right in front of the door. He turned around to Hayner, Pence and Olette, who told them goodbye. I pulled away from Olette, who had a sad look on her face.

"Hey, Sora. You sure we haven't met before?" asked Hayner. I looked at him, and questioned why he would say that. Sora replied saying he was positive that he had never met him, and asked him why.

"I dunno," replied Hayner, who smiled at Sora. I smiled softly at the two of them, and I was happy to see that everyone was friendly towards each other. I looked over to Sora, who smiled as well.

But then suddenly, a tear fell from his right eye. Hayner, Pence, Olette and I gasped, and Sora noticed. He wiped the tear from his face, and Olette asked if he was okay.

"Y-yeah. Don't know where it came from," replied Sora, who slapped his cheeks to rid himself of the awkwardness that had just happened. I looked down at the floor, and creased my forehead. Seeing Sora cry suddenly made my cry.

"Well, now you're making me cry," I said, trying not to cry any further. Hayner, Pence, Olette and Sora looked at me while I started crying. I felt Olette hug me very tightly, and I hugged her back while sniffling. I really didn't want to leave, and I really didn't want to leave my friends here.

As Olette pulled away from the hug, I noticed she was starting to well up as well. I saw Hayner walk up to me, who patted my back, and pulled me into semi-hug. I started laughing, realizing that I wasn't going to have those play fights with him anymore. Pence came up after, and told me not to cry, while rubbing my back.

As they backed up, I wiped the tears from my face. I still wanted to cry, but I held it back. I sniffled, and looked at them one more time. I walked inside the train, and Sora started rubbing my back as well.

"Hey, Sora?" asked Hayner, who looked really sad. Sora looked at him, and tilted his head as he wondered what Hayner had to say. "Take care of her... or else I'll have to hit you."

I laughed through the sniffling I was doing, and Sora laughed as he nodded. I looked at them for the last time, and I waved goodbye to them. "Bye, you guys."

the door closed on us, and as it started to move, I saw Pence walking along with the train as he looked at us. I placed my hands on the window, while looking at all three of them. I couldn't help but cry a little more as I saw them getting smaller and smaller, and I closed my eyes, trying to prevent myself from crying further.

As I opened them, I no longer saw them anymore. I took a deep and shaky breath, and sat down on the chairs. I looked over to Sora, who was leaning on the door as he looked out the window. I noticed he took something out of the pouch that Olette had, and it was a blue crystal. My eyes widened a bit as I looked at it, since it was the exact same as my crystal that I won at the tournament, except a different colour.

"You know," I heard Sora say, who looked at the crystal. He placed it towards the sun, and it shined very brightly. I wanted to take mine out, too, but I would have probably cried, since it was a memory that was inside it. "I'm sad."

I heard Sora continue speaking, and I looked at him for a moment, and then I lowered my head towards the floor. I'm sad too, although I didn't know why he was sad, but at least I had someone to be sad with. "Me, too."

Donald and Goofy both looked at us, and I was able to tell with the whole shuffling of their bodies and whatnot. Then I heard Donald talk. "We'll be back."

"Yeah. We can visit Hayner and those guys again," assured Goofy. I looked at them, and they smiled at the both of us. I gave a small and weak smile, since I couldn't give a big one. I was really grateful for such great friends, and I wouldn't jeopardize that... ever.

* * *

><p>.GAWD.<p>

So, Marie, Sora, Donald, and Goofy are finally out of Twilight Town! Such a sad ending, but at least they all got to say goodbye. Oh-ho-ho, and it seems Sora forgot about the kiss he wanted to give Marie. Hmm, I wonder... what will happen when he gives her one while she doesn't remember their love for each other?

**Lele-the-Greek-Geek:** Sora did find it odd how she was... different. But it'll get much worse, far worse. MUAHAHAHAHHA. And sort of. Since she was born while her mother had the power within her, she gained some powers of light, but they're hers alone. Oh man, the Nobodies have it bad! They're life sucks worse than Marie's. She'll merge with her like at the last minute, hopefully by then she copes with the feelings. Ahaha, thank you! I hope it is. 

**Shadow 1n2:** Haha, seriously, I know! All this running around the town was not necessary at all! And thank you! Ah, and sadly that hasn't happened yet. The feeling of not seeing each other took over for her to notice that he is wearing shrunken clothing! It'll happen in the next chapter though. XD AND OMG, I saw it! Freaaaaakkiin' hilarious!

**Lvl-ZeR0:** Ahaha, thank you! And yes, he did had a sad life. Everyone did want something out of him, and Naminè seemed like the _only_ person to give a crap about his well-being. That being said, I very much like Naminè, she's so sweet and blonde. XD And thank you! Glad to have your respect. XD You have mine, as well! Just so long as you don't hate me for no reason. I had a friend who was like that, and I liked her very much. But oh well, life goes on. And I'm not that nice. I can be pretty heartless and a total biatch, which is usually every day at my house. Though with friends, I act different, since they don't give me trouble. XD 

**Grapejuice101:** Thank you! And yea, it was sad. Right when he is starting to remember her, she has to leave forever. I wonder what will happen when they meet again. And yes! Epic adventures!

**Mysterygirl123:** Lo, yeah. I tried making sure Roxas and Aura had the worst exit. Making them miserable make me smile. XD And thanks! Glad you enjoyed it! 

**Squalls Kid:** I knew it was you when you mentioned Yuffie. XD O_o whoa... okay. XD Sparkly fairy Edward Cullen being stabbed by a spork of death is awesome. 

**AlexMontgomery:** Yeah, I'm trying to do my best. LOL, true enough. Though Aura doesn't have that look. That expression does not compute with her. XD And hmm, maybe not as awkward as you think, but still awkward. 

**SisterOfScarletDevil:** Thank you so much! Hope you enjoyed it! XD 

**HopeReincarnated:** LOL, thank you so much! Ahaha, yes, I is brilliant. Though really, more drama HAS to be included, and this was the only way. Oh my, that made me laugh! XD Though ironically, actual swirlies make people depressed. 

**Kurai-Darkness:** Haha, it's no problem. Glad to see you're alright. Ah, I've never been into anime, but I heard Naruto was good. 

**Sajere1:** LOL, I KNOW RIGHT? Yeah, it'll be sad and tragic. Also funny. And thank you! I originally didn't feel very comfortable writing about it, but I'm glad now that people like it. XD And yes, she hates him _hard._

**XliesOfLovex:** Yes, it has been way too long! Of course I remember you, you had the story, "A bright radiance" out. Though it sucks it got deleted, honestly, I really liked it. And I should be sorry for never having the time to review it! And thank you! I hope you get your story up soon! XD

**kingdomdisney:** ISN'T IT? XD Hooray for tweests! 

**TheAngelFromYourNightmares****:** Yes, sadly it is over-eth. LOL, it's _always and pleasantly _better when it happens to someone else. It is sad, but you're also right about the development of Marie. I wanted to focus on this story with her, and how she handles the eventual fact that Sora likes Kairi, she has no power to rely on, and Organization XIII. And as for Sora, we must remember the boy is slow, so it'll take him a while to fully know what's going on with Marie. And haha! Marie is too nice to do that kind of thing, I think. Aura on the other hand... 

**Gui****:** Oh, well thank you for reading it! Yes, I hope so, too. Though since I no longer work, I'll have more time for it. XD


	6. A very special birthday

To view Marie's Keyblade, please go here.[replace the word dot with the actual sign, please. XD]

www**[dot]**Swirl3y**[dot]**Deviantart[dot]com/gallery/26504272#/d3e59r9

To view her outfit, please go here:

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart[dot]com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

To view the pose she does, go here:

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart[dot]com/art/Marie-in-KH2-180679311?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=34

I **strongly **recommend you see each picture.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>  
>ȶ<strong><br>A very special birthday**

The train took a while before we reached our destination, and I sat down to take a rest. I looked at the window across from me, and I just sat there looking at it lazily. I wasn't interested in what was going on outside, I just wanted to sleep. All this fighting and finding my old friends really did take a lot out of me, and really, I just wanted to go back to Olette's place and pass out. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible anymore, and I was still very sad about it. I noticed my knee was still scrapped, and my dress was all dirty. I looked from the window to the floor, and sighed rather heavily.

I have a bad habit of having bad things happen on **my birthday.**

"Hey, what happened to your knee?" I heard Sora say. I looked up at him, who had been looking at my knee. I tilted my head a bit, and then looked at my knee again before looking back at him.

"Yeah, I got it when I was running from those monsters," I replied, scratching my head. "It's no biggie, though."

"Yeah _right_," he replied, giving me a concerned look. He walked over to Donald, who just so happen to have a first aid kit, since I guess it made sense since he was a mage and all. Sometimes magic can't heal most things, and these wounds were one of 'em.

Sora walked over to me after he received the kit from Donald, and he bent down towards my knee. I placed my hand on my lap, and suddenly, I felt really awkward. I watched as Sora wiped the dry blood with a pad with some alcohol, and it stung a bit. Then he took out a wet cloth, and wiped the alcohol from my knee, and finally he wiped my knee with a dry cloth. I looked at him really oddly, and I couldn't help but notice that he was so... comfortable around me. He looked up at me, and then he smiled. I smiled back, although awkwardly, and the next thing he did really just made me raise my left eyebrow.

When he looked back at my knee, he kissed it, and then rubbed it. Now, wait... what? I couldn't help but blush at how awkward this was becoming, and my smiled lowered. He looked back up, and his smile also faded. "What's wrong?"

I jumped in surprise by his voice, and I looked at him. I brought up an awkward smile along with a nervous laugh. "N-nothing, I... um, I just don't like seeing blood."

I pointed at the pad with the dry blood on it, so as to avert the attention away from me. He looked at the pad, and he chuckled. He picked up the waste, and threw it in the garbage bin on the train. I sighed, and tried looking at something—anything—to change the subject. I looked over to Donald and Goofy, and finally something popped into my head. "Hey, Donald, Goofy, what did the king say? Since you guys met him and all."

Both Donald and Goofy raised their eyebrow at me, and I tried laughing to make them not ask about what just happened. Their faces returned to normal, and then Goofy chuckled. "Well, all he said was to board the train. Not much after that."

Donald agreed, and soon enough the train stopped. I mentally cheered with relief knowing I was going to get off this train ride that was nothing but awkward. I got up from my seat, and hurried myself to the door. As it opened, I literally jumped out, and I stared at the tall tower that was standing by it's lonesome self.

ȶ**  
>Sora<strong>

Sora stared as Marie happily got off the train, and he raised his eyebrow. There was something really off about her, but he couldn't tell just what it was. She acted a bit different than before, and he was starting to notice it. He shook his head however, and shrugged. He figured it was because she grew up a bit, and thus changed in personality as well.

Donald and Goofy got off the train after Sora, and they looked at each other with worried looks. Although Sora wasn't able to realize, they were able to see that Marie was acting awkward whenever Sora showed signs of affection. They didn't know what happened to her while she was spending her time in Twilight Town, but _something_ to make her feel awkward towards Sora did happen.

What they didn't know what to do, was to tell Sora or not if he had noticed. They didn't want to offend him, or make him think things that could possibly or not be true. They both sighed as they looked at the two teens stare at the tower, and could only think how complicated a teen's life could really be.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

As we looked around outside, Donald pointed out a big, burly guy that looked a little suspicious. I raised my eyebrow, and we all walked towards him. I tilted my head in confusion, and wondered what he was doing. We stood there for a moment, staring at the guy and what he was doing. He was peaking through the door, and he giggled and cackled lightly as he did. I only just _started _this journey and already I'm seeing weirdos.

"What's goin' on?" asked Donald, who continued to stare at the big guy. The man peeked a little more into the door, until he finally decided to talk. He cackled and told us that he had sent some of his lackeys inside the place, and made them check to see if the owner of the tower was as big and tough and he had heard. I raised my eyebrow again, and he continued on saying that the man who owned the tower is a sorcerer, and wanted him to be his bodyguard.

"See, it don't matter how tough he is," said the man. "Once he's a Heartless, he'll do as I say!"

Sora, Donald, Goofy and I all gasped as soon as the word 'Heartless' was heard. Donald repeated the word, and the guy told him the explanation of the little monsters. "Why, with all those Heartless by her side, my dear friend Maleficent is gonna conquer everything!"

My eyes widened with shock when I heard Maleficent's name being mentioned. What was she doing alive, anyways? I thought we got rid of her? I shook my head, and the man said he had a debt to owe her, and he was going to make it up by building a Heartless army for her. A small silence appeared between all of us, and then the man told us to scram.

"You oughta do something nicer to do," said Goofy, who—for once—I agree with! The man sounded annoyed when he told us we weren't his boss, and turned around. As soon as he did, though, he gasped, and looked at us with complete shock.

"It's you!" he shouted, looking so shocked and possibly frightened? Both Donald and Goofy also gasped, and called out the guy's name, which we found out was Pete. "What are you two nimrods doin' here!"

"What are _you_ doin' here?" retorted Donald. I looked at them both, and I felt confused. Sora asked Goofy if he knew Pete, and Goofy replied saying that Pete had been causing trouble for ages. He said that Pete was banished by the king, and locked up.

"Ahaha! I was busted out by Maleficent!" he shouted, smirking as he did. "And she's gonna help me conquer all the worlds!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy all started laughing, and I looked at them as if they were crazy. Sora stopped laughing, and he looked at Pete. "She's toast."

Pete questioned them, and they laughed again. I wasn't really laughing along, since I thought the whole issue on Maleficent was pretty serious. Goofy looked over to Pete, and he chuckled before talking. "Sorry, but Maleficent can't help ya now!"

Donald started laughing again, and I looked over to Pete, who was confused beyond all. He gasped, and pointed his finger at us while have an angered look on his face. "You! So you're the ones that did it!"

Sora placed his hands on the back of his head, and smirked while looking up at the sky. "Well... we mighta had something to do with it."

Sora lowered his hands, and he elbowed me. I jumped in surprise, since I was actually thinking of Maleficent being alive. I looked over to him, and he winked at me. I smiled, and laughed as if I wasn't really interested. In truth, though, I was out of thought. I heard Pete growl, and I looked at him. He called forward his Heartless squad, and I sighed out of annoyance. "See where bragging gets you, guys? Now we got trouble!"

"Aww, phooey," replied Donald, who took out his staff. Goofy took out his shield, and Sora was already prepared with his Keyblade in hand. They all looked over to me, and I looked down at the floor. I gasped lightly when I remembered that I had a Keyblade now, so I closed my eyes as I summoned it.

A bright light appeared, and I felt the handle of the Keyblade in my hand. As the light disappeared, I looked down, and saw my new Keyblade. It was pink and purple, well at least the handle was. The tip of the blade, as well as the bottom part of it were gold, and the blade was light blue. Golden stars, that looked really sharp, were inside the blades, and a pink stone was at the middle of them all. There was a trigger near the handle, and I questioned just what it did. Oh well, no time to experiment. Time to kick some Heartless butt!

As I took my stance, which had been a long time since I've done it, I looked at the rising Heartless. I looked over to Donald and Goofy, who were also prepared to fight, and then I looked at Sora. He started the fight by hitting one of the Heartless, and then Donald and Goofy did the same. I looked over the Heartless that had been looking at me, and I stiffened, making sure I wasn't going to falter. I ran towards the Heartless, and I attacked it roughly. It staggered, and I was able to tell that I had indeed lost all of the powers that Stella gave to me, which sucked. If I couldn't kill a shadow on the first attack, then I was seriously lacking in skills and strength. I attacked it again, and it still didn't die. It looked weak, which I was glad about, but it still sucked.

I looked over to Sora, who was down to killing his third Heartless. I creased my forehead, and I was feeling so insecure all of a sudden. Losing these powers from Stella really set me back, and all I could think about... was how I was going to gain new strength to protect what mattered to me.

I shook my head, and focused on the problem before me. I looked at the same Heartless I had been fighting, and I attacked it, finally making it disappear. Although using the Keyblade was no problem, since Stella once told me that using it was natural, it was the fact that I had little to no stamina and barely any physical strength. It made me realize just how much I depended on Stella's powers. I sighed, and looked at another shadow Heartless. It came running up to me, and I blocked it with my arm. Although I barely had no physical strength, I knew I had great perception, and that I was flexible. Of course, that would only work if I was a defender like Goofy, but I had the Keyblade. It was... different.

I looked over to the Heartless, and I attacked it again. It fell back, but it quickly disappeared into the ground. I held the Keyblade close, and I looked around carefully. I heard light feet shuffling, and I quickly turned around to block it's attack. I attacked it with my Keyblade, but this time I also kicked it. It growled, and I swung my Keyblade at it, making it disappear. I bent down to catch my breath, and I looked over to Sora and the others. They finished off the last batch of Heartless, and they all stood as if they were never tired in their life! I saw Sora walk over to me, but he stopped when we heard Pete growl.

"Nobody, and I mean _nobody_, messes with the mighty Pete!" said Pete, who swung his arms around for dramatic effect. I sighed, finally catching my breath, and I got up. Sora, Donald, and Goofy walked closer to me, and they also looked at Pete.

"So 'mighty' Pete," mocked Sora, who crossed his arms. "Who lives in this tower, anyway?"

Yen Sid. That was who the person was, as told by Pete. He smirked, and chuckled evilly when he told us that he was most likely a Heartless by now. Both Sora and I raised our eyebrow, and suddenly we heard a quaking noise from Donald. We looked over to him, and he gasped again. "Master Yen Sid lives here!"

I gasped lightly after seeing Donald run into the tower, and I extended my hand towards him while running after him. "Donald, stop! That place must be crawling with Heartless!"

ȶ**  
>Sora<strong>

Sora and Goofy watched as Marie ran after Donald, and Goofy explained to Sora that Yen Sid was the King's teacher. Sora's eyes widened with awe and curiosity, and quickly ran inside the tower to follow both Marie and Donald. Goofy laughed, and did the same. As the two of them entered the tower, Pete stood there with his eyes popped wide opened and his jaw hanging out. He couldn't believe that all four of them just left him as he wasn't important, and he was infuriated.

He stomped the floor, and waved his hands up and about. He was going to show them that he was indeed important, and that he was indeed going to conquer the worlds. Of course, with the help of Maleficent.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

I stared with complete anger and annoyance as I saw the inside of the tower, and I knew that today was not going to go well. Of course, nothing ever goes well on **my birthday!** As I stood on my feet, looking at the crazy and probably never-ending **staircase**, I sighed.

I lowered my head, and I stomped my foot. I felt the eyes of the other guys on me, and then I heard Sora laugh. "Hey, I just remembered that you hate stairs."

I looked over to Sora, but then I lowered my head again and bent down while doing circles on the floor with my left finger. I didn't want to climb stairs, and I wasn't going to anytime soon. I mean, come on, it was **my birthday!** I sighed again, and then suddenly, I felt two thin hands around my waist. I gasped very loudly, and I was taken by surprise when I heard Sora laugh from behind. I looked behind me slightly, and he was smiling while lifting me up. I heard Donald and Goofy laughing, and I raised my eyebrow.

Then all of a sudden, I felt him tickle my sides. I burst out into laughter, and I was squirming around in his grasp. I heard him laugh out loud, and I couldn't control the laughing I was doing, too. I found myself turning around so I could avoid being tickled, but he managed to twirl me right back so that he could tickle me even more! I laughed so hard, to the point of snorting. I heard Sora laugh a little louder, and soon enough, the whole fun suddenly turned into awkwardness.

Sora had wrapped his arms around me, and his chin leaned on my shoulder. I tensed up, and I looked at Goofy and Donald, who had questioning looks on their faces. I chuckled nervously, and I pulled away from the hug. I turned around to face him, and he tilted his head in confusion while staring at me. "Marie? What's wrong?"

"Uh, nothing." I turned away from Sora, Donald and Goofy, and walked towards the stairs. My eyes were shifty, and I felt like hiding from all of this awkwardness. Just when I was having friendly fun, Sora comes in and tries to get all... affectionate. We're just friends, and I don't see Sora as anything else. So, why wasn't he? I sighed, stopped at the first step leading up, and looked back at the boys. "Well, I think we should be going."

Sora had a weird look on his face, and I couldn't tell if it was confusion, or hurt. Donald and Goofy were just standing there, and their forehead's creased. They all looked... disappointed, but why?

Sora gave out a small, soft chuckle, and he walked up towards me. Donald and Goofy followed behind slowly, and when they were all standing beside me, Sora smiled. "Yeah, let's go."

I gave a weak smile, and we all proceeded to walk up the stairs. I clasped my hands together while I walked up the stairs, and I started to think about how weird Sora was acting. I mean, as I recall, our adventures were filled with fun and friendship. I don't ever remembering him pulling moves on me during that time, so just what exactly made him now? As we walked a little further up into the stairs, a bunch of shadows appeared. I gasped, since they came out of nowhere, and I quickly took out my Keyblade. Sora, and the others did the same, and we all stood close to each other while fighting the Heartless.

I attacked one swiftly, but it didn't fall. I groaned, and attacked it again. It still didn't fall, so I kicked it with my foot. It _still_ didn't fall, and I was getting really annoyed. I raised my Keyblade, and my hand fumbled on it. By pure accident, I pulled the trigger beside the handle, and the blue blades suddenly lit up. Instantly, they flung out from the Keyblade, and the force that they left at made me fall flat on my rear. As I grunted when I hit the floor, I stared in shock and awe as the blades hit every single Heartless in the area. It killed some, since Donald, Goofy, and Sora had already roughened them up, and it just hurt the others. When it came back, I was pushed back again, since they came at full force. I stared at the Keyblade, and I also noticed that Sora, Donald, and Goofy did as well. I got up, and I placed the Keyblade in front of me as I took a good look at it.

"Gosh, did you see that!" I squealed. Honestly, this Keyblade was looking cooler and cooler by the minute. I swung it around, and the guys laughed. I stood in my stance, and I looked at the others as I nodded. They all did as well, and we all got back to defeating the rest of the Heartless. I looked at the shadow staring at me, and I ran up to it while attacking it. It was pushed back, and I managed to sneak in another attack. It grunted, and I kicked it. It fell to the floor, and with another hit from my blade, it disappeared. I smirked, and realized that my moves were pretty quick, although I was still really weak. I looked over to Sora, who had been fighting and defeating every Heartless with ease. I sighed, and placed my Keyblade away as he had finished the last batch. He was so strong, and it made me a bit insecure.

Sora placed his Keyblade away, too, and he continued walking up the stairs. I followed him along with Donald and Goofy. I placed a hand near my chest, and I looked away from them. Man, it sucked being this weak without _any_ kind of help. But this is what Stella wanted, right? For me to fight with my own strength. But, couldn't we have taken baby steps? Taking it all at once really made me feel weak...

as we climbed up the stairs, we walked into the next room. As expected, a lot of Heartless shadows appeared, and we got into our positions. It didn't take long to get rid of them, since there were so few, and Sora practically had them all covered. I sighed, and just kept feeling more insecure about my powers. I didn't want any of the guys to see it, though. So I'll just lay low about it for now, I guess.

A door had suddenly appeared, and we were granted access to go on further. Sora nodded at all of us, and we continued on. There were few to none Heartless here, and I attacked some, trying to see if I could train this natural strength of mine. Although I wasn't getting as tired, I still needed to take a breather after every fight. As we walked towards the other door, I couldn't help but wonder why I got a new Keyblade. What was wrong with my old one? I looked over to Sora, who was smiling and laughing as he talked with Goofy. I doubt he knew the reason why, so I wasn't going to ask.

Actually, there was something else that I had noticed. The room that we had just previously been in had stars all around it, and my Keyblade has stars on it, as well. I wonder if this, "Yen Sid" knows something about my Keyblade, though, I guess I'll have to ask him when I meet him.

We made it to the second door, and Sora opened it. We walked in cautiously, and noticed that another batch of Heartless waited for us. I sighed, and groaned as I was getting pretty tired of fighting. Nonetheless, I took out my Keyblade, and positioned myself. I attacked one of the shadows, and jumped in again to attack it a second time. It staggered, and it came back at me to attack. I blocked it with my hand, since shadows aren't very strong, and slapped it away from me. I attacked it with my Keyblade, and it growled. I attacked it two more times, and it finally disappeared. I looked over, and noticed that Sora and the others had already defeated their share of Heartless. Which was _a lot_ more than what I had fought. I sighed again, and dropped my shoulders. I looked over to them, and they had noticed my brief show of insecurity. I jumped at this, and I gave them my most assuring smile. Sora laughed, and he smiled back. Donald and Goofy, however, didn't really look convinced. I still continued to smile, and the door to the next area appeared before us.

Donald walked towards me, and so did Sora and Goofy. I was sure they were going to gang up on me, and ask me what was wrong. But instead, Donald stomped his foot on the ground, and crossed his arms as he shook his head in disappointment. "Heartless, Heartless, Heartless! Things haven't changed one bit!"

Gosh, glad I dodged the bullet of being asked what was wrong with me! Although I did have to agree with Donald, all these Heartless tells me something is definitely up, and I wasn't feeling so confident about it. Goofy assured, though, that it was a good thing that we were on the job getting rid of them all.

"So, the worlds aren't at peace, after all?" asked Sora. I looked at him, and questioned that as well. Wasn't it Leon who told us that the worlds would be closed off if we defeated Ansem, or rather, guy-who-likes-to-steal-a-very-respectful-man's-name?

I shook my head, and looked at the gang. "Something _is_ up, though. We should be very careful, and prepared."

Donald and Goofy laughed a little, and Sora did as well. Gosh, what was up with everyone laughing? I huffed, and placed my hands on my hips as I glared at the guys. "What's so funny?"

"It's just funny hearing you talk like that," replied Sora. I raised my eyebrow, and asked them what they meant.

"Well, you talk kinda like Leon," replied Goofy, which I was still confused until he cleared it up. "See, Leon talks all wise-like, so that's kinda how you talk now."

I actually laughed at what Goofy said, because... it's true. I did notice that I spoke with a more wise-like tone, but I think that was because of the people that I hung around with in Twilight Town. No, I'm not referring to Hayner, Pence and Olette. The old man who taught me how to fight often times told me things that were important when in a dangerous area. He was the one who told me to walk around with caution, and to keep my senses up. I really did respect him, and he really did remind me of Ansy, whom I really miss.

"I suppose I do," I replied, smiling at them. "But I guess it's about time we had someone wise in this group since, well.. you guys kinda suck at it."

I giggled after, and both Donald and Goofy gave me a glare. It made me laugh harder, and Sora pushing me slightly only made me laugh even harder. They three of them started laughing as well when they heard me laughing like a maniac, and we stood there laughing. I stopped laughing, and noticed the door.

As much as I wanted to laugh, I had to tell the others that we needed to continue on. They stopped laughing as well, and nodded as they agreed. We walked through the door, and there wasn't a lot of Heartless. I'm assuming that Yen Sid did something so that they wouldn't reach his room, or else the whole place would be crawling with Heartless. It was a straight path going up to another room, and I was glad that I wasn't going to climb stairs. Actually, I didn't feel the climb at all... hunh. Guess I had other things on my mind...

With having only one Heartless to kill, which Sora took care of, we opened the door to the next room. As we did, Donald and Goofy immediately walked up to the desk in front of them, and bowed. Sora looked at them, but he didn't bow, which made me snicker since he was never one to really bow as I recall. I stood beside him, and I stared at the man in front of us. He was this old-looking man, with a long grey beard that reached to his upper chest. He had a bold eye shape, and thick grey eyebrows. He wore a blue robe, and a pointy hat with stars.

"Master Yen Sid! It's an honour!" greeted Donald, who kept bowing down.

"Hey there!" greeted Sora, who acted casual. Donald and Goofy immediately stood straight, and gasped at Sora. It made me jump in surprise, as well as Sora. He looked at Donald and Goofy, and raised his eyebrow at them.

"Sora! Show some respect!" shouted Donald. I giggled, and he growled at me after. I kept my

mouth shut after, and I saw Yen Sid looking at Sora.

"So, you are Sora," he said, his voice sounding deep and old. He sat down in his chair, and looked pretty comfortable. Sora smiled at him, to which he nodded in return. Yen Sid looked at me after, and I smiled and nodded my head. "And you must be Marie."

He nodded his head when I confirmed who I was, and he asked if we saw the king. Goofy said they did, but they didn't get the chance to talk to him. Yen Sid then told us that he had been really busy, but with what? I wonder.

"Therefore, it would seem that the task of instructing you four falls upon my shoulder," said Yen Sid. He told us that we were going to have a rough journey, and that we needed to be prepared. Sora moved a bit, and I looked at him as he had a sad look on his face.

"We have to go on another journey?" he asked, not pleased with the situation at hand. "I was looking forward to finding our friend Riku, so we could go back home."

Sora pointed at the both of us, since Riku was my friend too. I looked at Yen Sid, and I nodded along with Sora. Yen Sid said that he knew, but that everything in our journey was connected. Whether it be returning home alone or not or even having a home to return to.

"You are the key that connects them all, Sora," said Yen Sid, looking at Sora. I looked at Sora, and he pointed to himself.

"I'm... the key?" he asked. He looked down at the floor, and looked back up as he called forth his Keyblade. Yen Sid looked at his Keyblade, and told him he was the one who could open the door to the light. I gave Yen Sid a questioning look, and wondered, aren't I that 'light'?

"But I'm that light," I protested calmly. I looked at him, and he nodded at me.

"Indeed you are, Marie," he said, shifting in his chair. "But I sense an alteration in your powers."

"What...?" I barely whispered. How could this man know about my powers being gone? How could he know...? this guy knows something about me, and I want to find out. But I have to remain calm, and not be disrespectful. Sora looked at me, and I was able to see from the corner of my eyes. I didn't want to look at him, but I could tell he had something to say.

"What do you mean about Marie's powers being altered?" he asked. I looked back at Yen Sid, and he closed his eyes while giving out a low sigh.

"To put it simply," he replied, looking at all of us. "Although she still possesses the power of Kingdom Hearts, she can no longer use them. However, that does not mean you are safe."

""W-what do you mean?" I asked, feeling really shaky. Yen Sid extended his hand above his desk, and a book magically appeared. He told us that it contained valuable information that we would need on our journey. I took a deep breath, and we all walked towards to the book. It was basically about the journey that we had last year, and how there was more to come in our next one. I was the first one to finish reading, then Donald, then Goofy, then finally, Sora.

Sora looked away from the book, and I lowered my head, still sad and insecure about my powers. If Sora is the one that can open the door to the light, then what am I good for, now? I relied my whole mission on just protecting that door, and now I can't do that if I don't have powers to protect it. I can't even open it, now...

"But wait a sec—how come the Heartless are still running around?" asked Sora, who stared at Yen Sid. He told us that what we did last year did stop the Heartless, however, it still lingered since it was pure real darkness. As long as people around the worlds had darkness in their hearts, it would be impossible for us to fully get rid of the Heartless.

But, thinking on it, if everyone had light in their hearts the Heartless would go away for good. I dropped my shoulders at the thought of dealing and fighting the Heartless, but then I heard Yen Sid's voice again. "Now it is time to speak of the enemies you will encounter."

Yen Sid pointed his finger to the corner of the room, and a holographic image of Donald appeared. Donald quacked when he saw himself, and both Sora and Goofy snickered at him. Suddenly, however, the holographic Donald changed into a Heartless. We all jumped and gasped, and Yen Sid cleared his throat, which made us look at him. "If one such as you, Donald, yields to the darkness in their heart. They, too, will become a Heartless."

We nodded our heads, and Yen Sid continued. He pointed his finger at the Heartless, and another hologram appeared. The monster in the white jumpsuit popped up, and I gasped as I nearly freaked out. I don't have a good history with these things since, you know, they tried to **kill me. **

"At times, if someone with a strong heart and will—be they evil or good—becomes a Heartless," he said, pointing at the Heartless hologram. "The empty shell they leave behind begins to act with a will of it's own."

The Heartless hologram disappeared, and we continued to stare at the white monster. "An empty vessel whose heart has been stolen away... A spirit that goes on, even as it's body fades away from existence—for you see, Nobodies do not truly exist at all."

I creased my forehead, feeling a bit sad all of a sudden, and looked at Yen Sid. "Nobodies may seem to have feelings, but this is a ruse—they only pretend to have hearts. You must not be deceived!"

"Nobodies... they don't exist..." I looked at the Nobody in front of us, but it disappeared, and popped up in front of us, except there was three of them this time. Yen Sid described these jumpsuit looking ones as Dusks, and told us they were very common.

"But there are others—some larger," he continued, which made us turn around. "Some with frightening and unique powers. Be vigilant!"

He told us that we would see a lot of these Dusks, but we shouldn't be too alarmed, since they had to return to the darkness either way. When I thought about it, it made me feel a little sad. These things had no heart, and they had a horrible fate...

Yen Sid made the Dusks disappear, and then suddenly a hologram of three men with black cloaks appeared before us. Sora, Donald and Goofy stood back a bit, while I merely stared at them. I heard Yen Sid shuffle in his seat, and then I heard him speak. "The beings you see before you now are different. These powerful Nobodies have formed a group called Organization XIII. It commands the lesser Nobodies."

I heard Sora repeat the name, and he looked at Donald and Goofy, asking if they've heard of the name. They didn't, but something told me that Sora was feeling weird about the name. Why I had that feeling, was beyond my questioning.

"While Heartless act on instinct, Nobodies function in a higher manner," We heard Yen Sid say. "They can think and plan, and it seems they are working towards a goal. What that goal is, we do not know, however..."

Yen Sid shifted a bit uncomfortably in his chair, and he looked at us. "The King sensed the danger, and journeyed forth to fight it. He found the dark realm's Keyblade, and with it, closed the door."

My eye's popped wide open, and I looked at Yen Sid with such an intense look. "Is that the reason why I disappeared?"

"Yes, the king used your power, although without knowing it," replied Yen Sid. "He used quite a lot."

"I see," I said, placing a finger on my chin as I looked down to the floor. "I figured it was because since I had the power of Kingdom Hearts, I would have to return to it."

"You should be very careful around the Organization," Yen Sid cautioned. I gave him a questioning look, as did Sora, Donald and Goofy. He looked at all of us, and then at me. "While the king is still trying to find out what their goal is, he did find out that Marie is a part of it."

"**what?**" I heard Sora, Donald, and Goofy say in unison. I jumped at my mention, and I walked a little closer to Yen Sid's table. I clasped my hands together, and I gave him a confused yet sad look.

"Why would they need me?" I asked, looking at him, hoping he would give me a full answer, but unfortunately, he said that he didn't know the full details, and that I was best off asking the king. I sighed, and dropped my shoulders. Sora came up, and placed his hand on my shoulder as he smiled at me.

"Then I guess we better go find the king," assured Sora. I smiled at him for being helpful, and I looked at the others as they nodded as well. We didn't know where the king went, but we had to look either way.

"We can ask the king where Riku is, too," I said, looking at Sora while smiling. He was being helpful and trying to cheer me up, it was only right to do the same. Yen Sid chuckled, and we all looked at him, he told us we needed more suitable travelling clothes, and I looked over to Sora.

"Hey, he's right. That outfit is _way_ too small on you!" I said as I looked at him. Donald and Goofy laughed at him, and soon I started to laugh as well. Sora puffed his cheeks as he looked at us, which only made me laugh even more. I held on to my stomach laughing when Sora tried pulling down his shorts after taking a closer look that it was too small on him. Donald quacked, and Donald gave out a really funny 'hyuk' laugh. I only laughed harder, and I looked at Sora, who had suddenly pouted at us. I stopped laughing eventually, and I placed a hand over my mouth while still chuckling. I looked at him, and gave him a smile while patting his back. "Haha, don't worry. You'll get new clothes soon."

Sora smiled back at me, and his hand slightly brushed off of mine. I froze a bit, and I watched as he walked into the next room. I didn't know what to think about Sora and his affectionate self, but it was really making me awkward. Well, anyways, Yen Sid told us that the next room had three fairies that would fix us up with outfits. I was getting excited since I like to dress up, so I happily walked over to the next room along with the others.

As we walked into the other room, Sora stopped and he looked at the fairies. "Me, you guys, Riku and the king. I don't care who this organization is or what it's planning, but with the six of us—I mean, seven of us—we won't let them get near Marie. And we have nothing to worry about, right?"

"Yeah!" replied Donald enthusiastically, Goofy laughed, and Sora looked at me. He gave me a sweet smile, and I smiled back. He was so nice caring for a friend, and I really am happy to have a friend like him. Heck, he's like my _best_ friend.

"Well, look who's here, dears!" I looked over to the three fairies, and the one dressed in red smiled at us. The other two, who are wearing a blue and green dress, also smiled at us. "Sora, Marie, Donald and Goofy!"

"Oh, if you're looking for clothes, you've come to the right place!" said the small, chubby fairy with black hair wearing the blue dress. The red fairy took a look at Sora, while the blue one looked at my body, while touching the fabric of my dress. I felt so embarrassed, and really awkward that they were touching me. The red fairy took Sora's hand, and the blue one took mine as we walked to the center of the room. I stood beside Sora as we looked at the green fairy point her wand at us, a green light appeared from it, and it hit us. I covered my eyes slightly, and when the light was gone I looked down at my dress.

I raised my eyebrow as I noticed that the only thing that changed about my outfit was the colour, and it was green. I smiled awkwardly at the fairy, until the blue pointed her wand at us. A blue light appeared and hit us, and the same thing occurred, except this time my dress was blue. Sora looked down at his outfit, and then he looked at me as if I knew what was going on. I shrugged my shoulders, since I really _didn't_ know what was going on.

The red fairy looked at the two other fairies, and she told them that our colour wouldn't do. I sighed, hoping I would get an outfit, however, when she pointed her wand, our outfit just changed to the colour red. The blue fairy grew angry, and she changed our outfits to the colour blue. Then the green one changed them to green, and then the red one changed them to red. I looked at Sora, and he raised his eyebrow. I knew what he was thinking, and it was that this was going to take forever. The fairies just kept changing our colours from red, to blue, to green and then over again.

ȶ**  
>Aura and DiZ <strong>

Aura sat down on one of the chairs, and skimmed through a book that she had in her possession. It was the same romance novel that Zexion had lent her, and for whatever reason, she just couldn't leave without it. She had already read more than half of the story, and she had gotten really into it.

DiZ sat on his computer chair, and typed in some codes and whatnot. During their time together, Aura had not mentioned organization XIII's goals. What he only knew, was that they wanted Marie and Aura. He wondered why the young nobody wouldn't tell him, and he was very suspicious at first. However, she assured him that she wasn't going to turn her back on him, and that Kingdom Hearts had told her not to speak of it. Aura and DiZ didn't know why Stella didn't want him knowing, but Aura figured she wanted DiZ to learn the hard way, like she did.

Aura kept reading her novel, and she was close to reaching the end. She sighed as she remember the times she had within the Organization, and how she missed them. She stopped reading the book, and closed it up. She got up from her chair and left the room, however, before she could leave, DiZ turned around from his chair. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm just gonna go for a walk," she replied coldly. Although she couldn't blame him, DiZ had a rather hard time trusting Aura ever since she made Marie suffer by remembering early. Aura had felt completely awful about that, and she told DiZ that she was going to protect Marie no matter what.

"Hmph," replied DiZ. He turned back from Aura to his computer, and continued typing some things on it. "Just don't go too far, and let Riku know where you're going."

Aura sighed, and left to go for a walk. A lot was going on with her, and it had started when Sora awoke. Every time she saw him she wanted to hurt him, but she desperately had to control them, so she wouldn't make another mistake.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

I leaned against a table that was nearby, and Sora still stood in his position. Donald and Goofy were leaning against each other while we all waited for the fairies to decide on what to do with our outfits. Although I was getting a little irritated, I didn't want to tell them to hurry up, since it was pretty rude.

"Aww, would you just decide?" complained Sora. Well, I guess someone else had the same thought as me. Sora groaned, and the fairies looked at him and gasped when he complained. Although he was right about them deciding, I think Sora could gave said it more... nicely.

"All right, then. Together now, dears," said the red fairy. She looked at the other two fairies, and they all prepared their wands as they nodded at each other. "And no more squabbling!"

I walked away from the table, and I watched as the fairies pointed their wands at Sora. The colours of green, red and blue hit Sora as a bright light appeared around him. The light covered his body, and when it disappeared, the fairies gasped. I looked over to Sora, and noticed that his outfit still kinda looked like his old outfit. It was all black and silver, and a little baggy. It's definitely darker looking than his previous outfit, and there was a lit of zippers, and straps. Overall though... Sora looked really good.

"Oh my," said the red fairy, admiring his new look. The blue and green fairy giggled and commented his outfit, while Donald and Goofy stared in awe as well. "He does look dashing."

As Sora took out his Keyblade, the ladies looked at him. Specifically, the red one. "Now, those aren't ordinary garments. They have very special powers."

I tilted my head in confusion, as did Sora. The red fairy created a red orb near Sora, and told him to take it. She told us all to watch, and Sora suddenly transformed. He was covered in a bright light for a moment, and then when it disappeared, his outfit changed colours. He was wearing all red, but what I really noticed was...

"Two Keyblades!" I complained. I stared in awe as he stood there waving his second Keyblade around, and I heard Donald and Goofy also awing over it. I puffed my cheeks, and I was _a little_ jealous of him having two Keyblades.

"Your garments have other powers," said the red fairy. "But you'll have to find out as you continue your journey."

I continued to stare at Sora, who was flashing off his keyblades. I huffed, and started feeling _really _insecure about my powers. I heard the fairies giggle, and I looked at them. They all smiled at me, and pointed their wands at me. "Now, it's your turn, my dear!"

I stood up straight, and I smiled at them. Sora moved aside, while the three of them stared at me. When the ladies cast their spell, the same thing that had happened to sora—the whole red, green and blue thing with the bright light—and I covered my eyes as it covered my whole body. When it disappeared, and when I uncovered my eyes, I looked down.

I gotta say, this is probably the most sweetest and cutest looking outfit I ever saw. When I looked down, I noticed I was wearing coral pink running shoes. As I continued to look, I found myself wearing short beige shorts. I was wearing a pink belt with a golden heart buckle, and my shirt had been white with coral pink straps and a coral pink hoodie. What I liked about my shirt, was that it had like this white cover from the chest going below. Overall, though, the outfit was really cool-looking. I also had pink and gold bracelets.

I was so happy about the new outfit, that I twirled around. I heard Sora laugh, and I looked at them. I smiled, and couldn't help but feel a little mischievous. So as I stood there, I placed my left hand on my hip, and the other behind my head. I parted my legs a bit, and I kinda had this mature pose going on. As I stared at Sora, I couldn't help but giggle as I spoke. "So, how do I look, Sora?"

I passed on a wink at him, and then I noticed him blushing. Donald and Goofy noticed, and they started to snicker. Sora started smiling, though oddly, and he gave me a weak, yet awkward sounding laugh. "I-I-it looks great!"

I started laughing, and got out of that pose. I looked down a bit, and then I noticed this golden necklace. Before I could touch it, though, I heard the red fairy speak. "Your garment holds a power that very much suits you, my dear."

I gave her a questioning look, and I was really hoping to wield a second Keyblade. I clasped my hands together as I jumped a bit from excitement, and waited for what she had to say. "These powers are the powers of healing and protection, so you'll be very important to your friends."

My shoulders dropped, and I pouted. I was _really_ hoping for a second Keyblade, but really, I wasn't complaining. Healing and protection spells were going to be really important, especially after experiencing last year's adventure. I looked at the green fairy, as she began to speak. "they're basic healing and protecting spells, but as you continue on your adventure they'll advance."

I looked at the ladies, and I gave them one of my biggest smiles. "Thank you so much!"

"This journey's gonna be twice as difficult as your last," said the blue fairy. Sora dropped his shoulders, and he sighed as he bent down a little. He obviously wasn't happy about that, but you know what? I was kind of happy. There was a chance of seeing all of the people that I met last time, and I really wanted to see them. I really wanted to see Cid, Leon, Yuffie and Aerith out of all of them.

"No problem, we'll do out best!" cheered Sora, who patted my back. I looked at him, and looked back at the fairies and smiled at them as Sora spoke. "Thanks a lot!"

"Oh, and there's something else for you," said the green fairy, who smiled sweetly at all of us. "From Master Yen Sid."

Donald and Goofy cheered and were suddenly excited about their present, since it was from Yen Sid. We said our goodbyes to the fairies, and we walked over to previous room where Yen Sid resided. As we walked along, I had completely forgotten about my birthday. I sighed, and kinda wished that all of this happened _after_ it.

As we walked to the other room, Yen Sid stood near the window, and motioned us to go over there. As we did, we suddenly saw a ship appear. I gasped along with Donald and Goofy when we noticed it was the Gummi Ship! Sora ran up to us, and he smiled at it. He looked at us as he spoke. "So, you guys ready?"

Donald, Goofy and I nodded, and we all looked at Yen Sid as we stood up straight and faced him as he spoke. "Now, now. Due to your past journey, the worlds have since returned to their original state. So the pathway to them have disappeared."

We all dropped our shoulders, but Yen Sid assured us that new paths were created. He told us to be prepared, as the Heartless and Nobodies were also creating their own path using corridors of darkness. Donald didn't like it, since it wasn't fair for us.

"Go forth, Sora, Marie, Donald and Goofy," said Yen Sid, looking at us. "Everyone is waiting."

We all bowed down to him, and we said our thanks. We started walking out, however, we were stopped when Yen Sid called us back. We all gave him a questioning look, and we stood there lined up waiting for him to speak. He went digging in his pocket, and dug pretty deep as he struggled a bit to find what he was looking for. When he took out whatever he was looking for, a small light appeared around it. When the light disappeared, a blue flower appeared floating from his hand. I stared at it's beauty, as it looked really nice.

"This bluebell flower has long since been forgotten," he said, walking a little closer to us. "But I managed to revive it, since it holds value."

The flower floated it's way towards me, and I placed my hand underneath it. It felt weird, since there was this force that was used to make it float, and I felt it. I looked at the flower, and oddly, it looked familiar. I couldn't help but smile, since it was so beautiful. Sora, Donald and Goofy looked at the flower, too, and they stared in awe. I looked at Yen Sid as he spoke. "A gentle flower with sentimental value belongs to a gentle girl with sentimental feelings. As such, happy birthday, Marie."

I looked at Yen Sid, and gasped. How did he know it was my birthday? Gosh, all these magical people really do surprise me all the time. But nonetheless, I smiled brightly, and nodded as I thanked him.

"It's your birthday today!" I heard a very surprised and shocked Sora say. I looked over to him, and I saw him—along with Donald and goofy—stare at me with shock. "Why didn't you say anything!"

"Well, it didn't really seem important, what with everything going on," I replied, smiling awkward at them. "It's not important, don't worry about it."

"As if!" replied Sora. He walked up to me, and gave me a hug. It was one of those really affectionate and awkward hugs, but I didn't mind this time, since I knew he was hugging me because it was my birthday. I started giggling when Donald and Goofy joined in with the hug, and I was covered by my friends. I kind of wanted to cry, though, since... well, I was feeling really emotional.

As we all separated from the hug, the flower disappeared, and began to turn into a flower crystal. I caught it, and placed it in my pocket. Yen Sid told me that if I wanted to see it again, all I would have to do is hold it in my palm. Well, as we said our real goodbyes, Sora, Donald and Goofy all ran towards the ship. I also started to run, however, I stopped when I thought of a question I could ask Yen Sid. I walked up to him, and looked at him as I took out my Keyblade. "Um.."

"What is it, Marie?" he asked, looking at me. I looked at the floor for a moment, until looking back at him.

"The king gave me this Keyblade, and I wanted to know who gave it to him," I asked, showing the Keyblade to him. "I was hoping you would be able to tell me if the king told you anything."

Yen Sid took the Keyblade, and he examined it closely. I stood here silently and patiently as he looked at it, and when he finished he gave it back to me. "Although the king has shown me the Keyblade, he has not mentioned who gave it to him. However, I can tell you that this Keyblade holds historical value, for you see, this Keyblade has seen a lot of fighting before you."

"Ah, thank you, Master Yen Sid," I bowed down, and as I got up, he nodded. I nodded back, and I ran towards the other guys. I was really curious now, just what kind of history did my Keyblade exactly have?

ȶ**  
>Riku and Aura<strong>

Riku stood on top of the clock tower, and stared into the town. He was feeling like how he was when he was back on the islands, and that was a calm and relaxing feeling. He thought back on his adventures, and he was really shocked that all of the that happened, happened to him. He always wanted to leave the islands, but he _never_ anticipated the kind of adventure he got.

As he continued to stare into the town, Aura walked into the area, and noticed him standing there while staring into the town. She sighed, and stared at him with a blank face. She walked further into the area that she used to sit with Axel and Roxas, and stood beside Riku.

"Are you okay?" she asked with no emotion. Riku looked at her through his hood, and then turned back. Although she didn't like working with DiZ, and was a little jealous of Naminé getting all close to Roxas, she found some kind of peace with Riku. Though, it was very little.

"When I was at castle oblivion with Marie," he said, looking down at the town. "She found this bluebell flower that she wanted to give to Sora, but she never got to since I had the flower."

"And?" asked Aura, not really understanding where Riku was going with his little story.

"It died, the flower, but I still wanted Marie to get it," he replied, looking up into the sky. "So I gave it to the king, and I told him to give it to Marie."

"Did she get it," asked Aura, still with her emotionless voice.

"Well, the king said that he would ask his master to see if he could revive the flower, and then he would give it to her," replied Riku. He chuckled, and dug into his pocket. When he took out what he wanted, he extended his hand, and a yellow flower appeared floating from him palm. "The king told me he fixed the flower by placing it in a crystal like stasis to keep it alive, much like this flower."

Aura looked at the flower that Riku had in his palm, and she found it beautiful. Although she was still emotionless and expressionless about almost everything, nature and the beauty of life still amazed her. The flower she stared at was a yellow follower named Celandine, which were pretty common around Twilight Town. Riku told her that the king's master created the flower he was holding as an example, but the king gave it to him since he didn't have any use for it. Riku turned to face Aura, and he extended his hand towards her, making the flower face her.

"Here, take it," he said, giving the flower to her. She took it from him, and stared it at blankly.

"And what am I gonna do with a flower?" she asked, staring between the flower and Riku.

"Keep it with you," he said, walking away towards the exit. "You used to be bubbly and happy like that flower, but you both changed. This flower came back to being bubbly and happy, it just changed in appearance... you can do the same, too."

As Riku left the tower, Aura merely stared at him. She knew where he was going with it, and he was trying to make her feel happy again. Aura scoffed, and looked at the flower. She looked away for a moment, and then she looked back at the flower. She was able to see a reflection from it, and seeing her blank expression through it really made her feel weird.

She sighed as she looked down, and the flower turned into a crystal flower. She figured this was what Riku meant by placing it in a crystal-like stasis, so it would stay a live. She looked down at it as she placed it near her chest. She looked up back into the sky, and sighed as she stared at it sadly.

"You're both gone..."

* * *

><p><strong>I DONT CARE HOW LATE I UPDATE THIS, I AM DETERMINED TO BRING YOU GUYS ANOTHER CHAPTER!<strong>

Well, chapter six is out with **10,000** words! Oh my goodness! I'm really, really, really, really sorry this chapter is so long. I usually keep them between 5,000,-8,000 but I went overboard. So, sorry. D:

**grapejuice101:** Lol, everything else will start to feel awkward. And thank you, I like them together as well, and although no fluff will be present for a while, you'll see a nice batch of friendship from them.

**Shadow 1n2:** LOL, yeah. Well, she noticed, and although it wasn't a funny scene, I still liked it. A Sora show? Ohh, I'd like to see that. And yea, surprisingly the whole show didn't flop on them, and thankfully a lot of people like them. I really think their funny. Hmm, I forgot what episode it was, but it would have to be the one when they put the camera in cloud's room while he reads Tifa's journal.

**Lvl-ZeR0:** Thank you so much! Ahaha, yeah, it took me five chapters after, but hey, I'm glad. XD OH GOD, I though the same thing! Though a little dirtier, something of his dropped along with his voice. XD Haha, well I do like donuts, so I think I'm in the clear. XD

**kingdomdisney:** Ah, feel bad for her later on, really. She like suffers so badly. DX

**Captainface:** Haha, of course. But you love me for that, so boo. XD and yea, it'll just get rougher, and well... she won't have him later on...

**The Result of Squffie:** LOL, yeah it sounds hilarious. XD Yeah I saw that anime, but I lost interest after a while. I don't watch anime anymore, lol. All I watch is degrassi. XD LOL, lovely excuse! Ahaha, and yes, plent of awkward moments.

**Lele-the-Greek-Geek:** Lol, yes! That's the effect I'm going for. You have to sit there and read through ALL of the awkward moments. XD and well, Sora is pretty much oblivious to anything. He is special like that. And haha, yes let's blame Aura. Bad Aura, bad! And thank you!

**SisterOfScarletDevil:** Aw, thank you! I know, it really was sad, it even made me sad as I wrote it. D: **xLiesOfLovex:** Haha, yea I get it. XD everyone is happy. Ah, yeah I understand. That's how I was with two of my stories. Though, I'm slowly bringing them out, now. Thanks for reading, I hope you like this chapter!

**Dracula-key:** Ah, yes. Sora is gonna have a meltdown. And Marie will sense it. And then she'll feel sad, and then the whole world will be sad. Gah, it's a world full of sadness!

**TheEvilMonkey94:** I know, Aura is a really complicated person. And it does suck that he's gonna realize soon that she has no feelings. Well, eventually, but not with the help of Stella.

**Kurai-Darkness:** Haha, yeah. Fillers are horrible, and I really don't like watching them... but I love writing with them! XD and yes, it shall be interesting!

**Mysterygirl123:** Ah, yes. Poor Sora. DX

**InuyaKoneko****:** Well, this chapter is looooooooooong. Like super looooooong. Oh, who is NDL? I'm curious! And thank you! I'm glad you like them! Pffft, we both know who he's gonna chose. XD

**Dracula X****:** I LOVE YOU. Seriously, I have been _waiting_ for someone to ask me this question. XD  
>Okay, let's start with Marie. I LOVE the voice actress named <strong>Danielle Judovits <strong>for her.  
>I imagine her KH1 voice to sound similar to Estelle in Tales of vesperia, though just a little lower that what she sounds here:<br>www**[dot]**youtube**[dot]**com/watch?v=sLkrV_TEfd0

And in KHII, I imagine her sounding like Ten Ten in Naruto like here: www**[dot]**youtube**[dot]**com/watch?v=RT2nNzdNgxc&feature=related

As for Aura, I love, absolutely love the voice actress named **Stephanie Sheh **for her. The voice that she does that sounds more close to Aura is Silmeria from the game Valkyrie Profile 2. like this: www**[dot]**youtube**[dot]**com/watch?v=7U_cIKj62zo

Thank you so much for asking, really! I think everyone should hear what I think should sound like Marie and Aura's voice. XD Thank you sooooooooo much!


	7. Old friends unite

To view Marie's outfit, please go here:

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

Also, please take some time to check out these awesome stories:

1. **Electric Storm** by **HopeReincarnated**

2. **Replay** by **Lele-the-Greek-Geek**

3. **I Am Nobody** by **TheEvilMonkey94 **

Sorry for the late update, I've been in a... depressing mood. No doubt, you can thank men for that, since It's because of a guy I'm feeling depressed. I know I told myself I wouldn't let a guy ruin my 'me' year, but it's proving difficult. Anyways, I'm also becoming a bit busy what with college life approaching and buying my books, binders, paper and etc. I also bought _THE _cutest bag for school. XD

Also, since **Shadow 1n2** gave me an idea about it, I would very much like if you guys also took some time to watch **Demyx Time** on youtube by **JenxtheJinx. **Also, be sure to check out **The Sora Show **on youtube by **TouchMyKeyblade.** I myself have only watched the first episode, but it's really funny! These guys are mad creative!

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>  
>ȶ<strong><br>Old friends unite**

We got on the Gummi Ship, and it changed completely. The seats where we usually sat were all changed, and our names were imprinted on the back. I walked around the area, and the person in charge of steering the wheel was Sora. He was at the center of the room. Hunh. I guess they still didn't trust me ever since I crashed the ship last year during our trip to the jungles...

As I looked on, I noticed the person in charge of attacks and lasers was Donald. I figured as much, since Donald was pretty good at aiming with his staff. His seat was located on the right side of Sora's seat, and it looked pretty comfy. Right behind Donald's seat was another seat that was in front of a screen that focused on protection and shield, and when I looked at the imprint on the chair, Goofy's name appeared. That was pretty obvious, since Goofy was pretty good at protecting with his shield.

I walked over to the left side of the room, and I noticed another chair with a computer screen on it. I looked over to it, and it had a full report on the ship, as well codes and whatnot. I looked down at the desk, and a book that had the title 'maintenance of the Gummi Ship' was on it. I looked at the imprint of the chair, and I noticed my name was on it.

Well, I'm not really sure what I'm good at, but I guess it's... taking care of things? Ugh, ever since I lost my powers, I've been feeling so insecure about where I stand in, well... everything. Everything happened for a reason, I suppose... I just hope it's right, though, since it's about the only thing keeping me together at the moment.

I walked out of the main control room, and I checked out my room. It was located beside Sora's room, and across from Goofy's. As I entered it, I stared in awe and happiness. The whole room was very soft looking, since the walls were a soft looking neutral pink. The floor had a very large beige carpet, and it almost covered the whole floor. My bed looked really comfy, and when I sat on it, I wanted to sink in and sleep. I had a desk across from my bed, and a bedside table with a really plain looking lamp on it. There was a closet across from the desk, and when I looked inside I raised my eyebrow.

All of my clothes I had back at Olette's were suddenly placed in my closet, and I kind of found it weird. Although I wasn't complaining, since I bought those clothes with my hard earned munny, and they were really cute looking. I walked outside and back into the main control room, and I saw Sora sitting in his chair, playing with the steering wheel. He was imitating car noises, and pretended he was driving a car. Goofy started laughing, but Donald pressed his palm to his face which I could understand... sometimes Sora was a little embarrassing.

We got a message from Chip and dale saying they were glad to see us, and then they went into information about the ship. Sora was obviously in charge of the steering, Donald was in charge of the firearms, and Goofy was in charge protection shields. They told me I was in charge of keeping the ship prepared, such as making sure our firearms are ready to use for Donald, or if the protection shields are good to go for Goofy to use. Since chip and dale were so far away, they also told me I was also in charge of making sure the ship worked. I pouted, since I didn't know the first thing about fixing a ship. I sighed, I guess that maintenance book is gonna be my new best friend.

As we all sat down in our appropriate seats, Sora looked at the screen that popped up. We noticed that only one world appeared, and Sora complained. "Only one?"

Both Donald and Sora complained about there being only one world, but as I took a closer look, I couldn't help but feel familiar with it. I stared at it rather intensely, and I noticed the boys looking at me. I stopped staring at the world, and looked at them. I smiled nervously, and scratched the back of my head. "W-what's going on?"

"You're staring at that world like you know it," replied Goofy. Donald gave me a suspicious look, and Sora only smiled. In truth, I did feel like I knew it, but I wasn't sure if I was just imagining it.

"To be honest, I feel like I do," I said, placing my hands on my lap. I looked at the screen, and sighed. I was starting to feel like I did way back when we first started this journey, how I was remembering everything about myself. That had been the first chapter in my life, first starting with me being kidnapped. _That_ was something I still couldn't remember; my kidnapper.

Goofy looked at the screen, and then he looked back at us. "It might be a world me know, so let's go check it out."

Sora nodded, and he started the ship. It got up very shakily, and we all panicked a bit. Although Sora was put on steering, Donald, Goofy and I still felt a little uncomfortable about it. Donald steered the wheel last year until near the end of our journey, where Sora wanted to learn. As the ship started flying and stopping, a strand of my hair flew to my face. I groaned, and pulled it back, but then I realized I was starting to have long hair. I touched the crown of my head, and I forgot I had a headband. I was never really one to have long hair, but I guess this length was alright. I know it's gonna grow as we go, but I'll cut it off after.

As Sora finally got the ship running smoothly, I looked out into the window. There was a bunch of stars, and it looked really pretty. I looked at the screen in front of me, and it was filled with a report on the status of the ship. It was working at hundred percent, and there was no damage to it. Of course, that was because we just started flying this thing. Once we start going to more worlds, Sora will eventually make me pull my hair when I have to do maintenance on this thing.

Well, we started getting closer to the next world, and luckily for me, there wasn't a lot of space monsters. So we sailed along smoothly, and I rested my head on the chair as I looked out the window.

ȶ**  
>Maleficent<strong>

As Pete walked into the secret hideout where Maleficent and he resided, he called out for her. He wasn't sure if Sora and the rest had actually gotten rid of Maleficent, but since she wasn't answering he guess that maybe they did. He walked around the hideout, which was really the remains of the castle at Hollow Bastion. It was nothing like how he expected, since there was no shine or anything even remotely close to that. He stood in the middle of the place, and scratched the back of his head. When he heard something fly in, he turned around, and saw a crow crowing. He gasped, knowing exactly who that crow belonged to.

ȶ**  
>Marie<strong>

we managed to make it towards the next world without trouble, and when we entered it, I immediately ran with Sora further into the town.

"It's Hollow Bastion!" exclaimed Sora. We both looked at the castle that was at the center of the world, and I wanted to cry. I'm able to see my second home for a second time, and I was so happy for it.

"Gawrsh, it looks kinda different now," commented Goofy. Of course it looked different, that was because the darkness from this world was gone. Before, Maleficent took over it and let the darkness change the appearance of this once beautiful world, now it really is beautiful.

I looked over to Sora, Donald and Goofy, who all kept looking around. I smiled to myself, and I wanted to go see the people who I shared this home with. "Hey, let's go see Leon and the others!"

Before I could run to look for them, Sora grabbed my hand, and he pointed towards a rooftop. I looked at it, and we all noticed that there was Heartless in this world. My eyes widened a bit at seeing them, but it wasn't going to make me feel low. This is still a home to me, and I'll die protecting it. I looked over to Goofy, who stated that we'd have to do some fighting. I know we are, but will I be able to fight well enough to protect? I shook my head, and I started running towards the center of the town. I immediately stopped when I saw someone I knew instantly.

"Uncle Scrooge!" Donald and I said in unison. I looked over to Donald, and questioned him. Sora raised his eyebrow, and questioned who he was, and Goofy looked over to him.

"He's Donald's uncle—a business typhoon. Before the Heartless showed up, he travelled the worlds on a Gummi Ship with the king," replied Goofy, who placed a finger on his chin. "But how do you know him, Marie?"

"I lived in this world for most of my childhood, remember?" I said, turning around to see him. "I used to buy ice cream off of him, and I call him uncle because, well, he just seemed like the type to call uncle."

Scrooge complained about the noise we were making, and when he turned around, he was shocked. "Why, if it isn't Donald! And Goofy!"

Scrooge stopped talking for a moment, and looked at me. He raised his eyebrow, and I was starting to feel a little sad, thinking that he may have forgotten about me. "Well, well. Little Marie!"

I smiled brightly when he remembered me, and I was starting to feel like I was a little girl again. Especially since Scrooge called me 'little'. He held an ice cream in his hand, and he smiled at all of us, telling us that he looked good. Donald asked him what he was doing, and he told us that he was trying to recreate his famous ice cream.

Before I could even help him, Donald told him that we had to move along. I really wanted to stay and help, but I guess Donald was right. We had other things to do. We said goodbye to Scrooge, and we walked along the road further into the town. We walked down some stairs, and reached the lower parts of the town. Sora and I were walking beside each other, and both Donald and Goofy walked behind us. Sora was a little ahead of me, and when he suddenly stopped, I bumped into his back.

I groaned in annoyance, and when I was about to yell at him, I stopped when I saw something white and digital pop up in front of me. Donald noticed the white things surrounding him, and he started getting annoyed, asking what was going on.

"That's the town's defence mechanism." I raised my eyebrow, and wondered who said that. We all looked around, and when Sora looked up into the higher parts of the town, I did as well. My eyes lit up with happiness when I saw who was standing there, and I ran up a bit when she started smiling at me.

"Yuffie!" I exclaimed happily! Jumping up and down from seeing her. She smiled brightly, and saluted at us. She suddenly gasped, and told us to watch out. Out of nowhere, Nobodies started appearing in front of us. I gasped lightly, out of shock, but then quickly composed myself as I took out my Keyblade. These Dusks, as Yen Sid called them, did circles around us, and Sora delivered the first attack. I hadn't forgotten about the powers the fairies placed in my clothes, but I didn't know how to execute them.

A dusk came rushing towards me, but I blocked it with my Keyblade. I attacked it, but it didn't fall. It spun around me, probably hoping it would make me dizzy, but big mistake! I managed to guess the time it was going to attack, and when it did, I blocked it. I attacked it roughly, and it was thrown back. I smirked, happy to see it being thrown back. I looked over to Sora and the others, and they were having some difficulties. I wanted to help them, but I was really weak in strength, so I wouldn't be much help.

As I was being distracted, I felt the presence of a dusk approaching. I saw it running towards me quickly, and I knew I wasn't going to block the attack on time. I placed my Keyblade in front of me, and all I could think of was how I was going to get this cure and protection spell working. When the dusk came attacking, I wasn't hit with anything. A white shield came popping up, and when the dusk stopped attacking the shield disappeared in the form of small, shiny stars.

Well, I guess my own personal shield was already built in as automatic. Now to learn how to use it on the others, as well as the healing spells. I looked at Goofy, who was running low on health. I know the fairies told me that the spells were basic, so maybe I had to say the name for it to work? It was worth a try.

I pointed my palm towards Goofy, and I closed my eyes as I tried concentrating on the healing spell. I looked up at Goofy, and focused. "Cure!"

...Nothing came out of my palm, but I gasped nonetheless when I saw my Keyblade lighting up. I raised it up, and the stars started glowing and spinning, a pale green light appeared from them, and it hit Goofy. I knew that light signified the healing spell, and I looked at my Keyblade, thinking...

Cool! It can cast spells in a really awesome way! I giggled lightly at it, but when I blocked an attack from a dusk, I had to go back to being serious. I looked over to Sora, Donald and Goofy fighting off the dusks, and I had to do the same. I ran over to the same dusk I was fighting, and I attacked it with my Keyblade. It was pushed back a little, and I ran towards it to attack it again, making it disappear. Sora, Donald and Goofy finished their work right when I did mine, which I felt good about. Of course, I only fought one dusk while they all fought the rest.

"Hey, you guys!" we heard Yuffie say from atop the higher parts of the town. She waved, and jumped down to see us. When she reached the bottom part, she got up and smiled at us. "I see you're still in top form."

"What'd you expect?" replied Sora, who pounded his chest proudly. He smiled at Yuffie, and looked around. "Looks like you're doing okay."

"Well, what did _you_ expect?" laughed Yuffie. Donald asked her how the others were doing, and she told us that they were fine. I smiled at Yuffie, and she looked at me as if she had something to as. I was about to question her, but Sora interrupted by asking if she saw the king or Riku.

She told him no, and she motioned her hands for us to follow her. Sora lowered his head, and I felt bad that he couldn't find them yet, but I followed Yuffie nonetheless. She stopped for a moment, and bounced a bit before pointing her hand at us. "But I had a feeling I'd see you guys again."

I looked back to Sora, who had suddenly turned serious. I raised my eyebrow, and he placed a hand on his forehead while quoting Leon. "We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other."

"Is that suppose to be Leon?" she asked, smiling and laughing at the same time. Sora, Donald and Goofy all started snickering, and I couldn't help but laugh along as well. Yuffie told us that everyone else was at Merlin's working on something, and my eyes lit up. I really wanted to see everyone, since I missed them a lot. I looked over to Yuffie, and I grabbed her hand while smiling at her.

"Well? What're you waiting for?" I said, starting to run forward with her. "Let's go see them!"

Yuffie giggled as we ran, with her leading me towards Merlin's place. I was just so overfilled with joy knowing that my home, although second, is turning out alright. As we ran along, Yuffie looked over to me, and she winked. "So, how are things with you and Sora?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, raising my eyebrow. I looked behind me, and I noticed the other three following close behind. I looked down at the floor, and I looked over to Yuffie. "Actually, now that I think about it, he's been acting weird."

"Oohh? Well, you can tell Aerith and I when we reach Merlin's," she replied, laughing as she did. "We'll have a little girls night out or something."

I laughed along with her, and we ran all the way towards a house that was located in a corner. She ran ahead, and opened the door for us to walk in. When we did, we looked around the place, and noticed that it looked pretty cozy. It reminded me a lot like home...

"Meet the Hollow Bastion Restoration committee!" happily exclaimed Yuffie, who jumped out of nowhere, and made me jump. Aerith, Cid and Leon all turned around, and when I saw Aerith smile with her hands touching each other, I couldn't help but squeal and run up to give her a hug.

"Aerith!" I exclaimed, running up and giving her a hug. She laughed, and spun around. Yuffie started laughing, and came towards us joined in the hug. The three of us were laughing, and couldn't help but give out a squeal and jump in excitement. Aerith placed a hand on her chest, and slowly stopped laughing.

"We missed you!" she said, not only looking at me, but at Sora, Donald and Goofy. Cid, Leon, and the others placed their hands over their faces and sighed, which I can understand after our display of girliness.

"Well, if you ain't in top shape," said Cid, who I couldn't help but squeal at. I ran over to him sitting on his chair, and hugged him from behind. He grunted, and tried pushing me off, mostly out of embarrassment. I laughed, along with Aerith, Yuffie, Sora, Donald and Goofy, all while Leon smirked. "Dang it, Marie, I'm not a sissy hugging girl! Get off!"

Cid pushed me off, and we all laughed a little harder. I patted his shoulder, and he groaned. "Well, Cid, nice to know you're still the same."

"I knew it," said Leon, who caught us all out of our random happiness. We looked at him, and Sora asked him what he meant. Surprisingly, Leon told us that a while back everyone suddenly remembered Sora, Donald and Goofy. They all jumped from the answer, but suddenly grew annoyed at how they all forgot about them. I giggled a little at this, and Yuffie placed a hand on her hip laughing.

"So where have you guys been all this time?" asked Yuffie, who looked at us with sudden interest.

"Gawrsh, well. Sora, Donald and I were sleeping," replied Goofy, who looked at everyone.

Cid looked at them before Goofy could continue, and he raised his eyebrow. "Where? In cold storage?"

Goofy, Sora and Donald all looked embarrassed, and I laughed mentally to myself. Goofy rubbed his head, and continued talking. "Marie was staying at the world where we were sleeping, but we had no clue she was there, and neither did she."

"Oohh~ So you two lovers were together after all, and just didn't know it?" swooned Yuffie. I raised my eyebrow, and I couldn't believe that Yuffie was talking all this "love" thing. Sora and I are just friends, sure we went on an adventure last year, but that doesn't automatically claim us as lovers. Gosh.

Aerith laughed, and clasped her hands together, telling us that it didn't matter what happened as long as we were together again. Sora, Donald and Goofy nodded, and a short silenced appeared.

"So, um, we're looking for Riku and the king," said Sora, destroying the silence. "Have you seen 'em?"

I was leaning my elbow against Cid's shoulder as I saw their heads shake. Aerith assured them that they were willing to do anything of they needed help, which was so nice of her. I smiled at her, and Sora nodded. All of a sudden, my elbow lost it's balance when Cid got up, and he went up to Sora in a creepy manner, and smirked at them. "Don't go thankin' us just yet."

"Hollow Bastion's got a problem," added in Leon, who I turned to quickly when I heard the word problem. "A big problem."

"You mean like nobodies, and Heartless?" asked Sora, to which Yuffie agreed on.

"Then let's get working on getting rid of 'em!" I said, raising my hands into fists. There's no way I'm letting some loser Heartless and nobodies ruin my home a second time! Well, my second home... still the same thing, right? Leon cut to the chase, and filled us in that they could use some help. Sora was about to talk, but I interrupted him by telling Leon we would do it. He smirked, walked towards the door, and turned towards us as he opened the door.

"Meet me at the Bailey," he said, looking at all of us. "There's something you need to see."

As soon as Leon left, a small smoke appeared. I fanned away the smoke with my hand, and when it disappeared out appeared Merlin! We all gasped, but we calmed down and smiled at him. He cleared his throat, while rubbing his really long beard. "Ah, nice to see you guys! Right on time!"

"Hey, they're gonna help us with our problem!" said Yuffie, who spun around and laughed. Merlin thanked us for helping, but we didn't need it since we would've done it anyways. He looked over to Aerith, and asked her if she gave us the cards yet.

"Oh!" she gasped, reaching into her pocket. I raised my eyebrow, and watched as she took out four cards. She handed them to us, and both Sora and I stood beside each other as we looked at the cards. Sora turned his around, and we both gasped as we looked at his.

"Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee Honorary Member!" Sora exclaimed surprisingly. I turned my card around, and I smiled as I saw my name hand printed on the card. Sora laughed, and raised his fist in the air. He looked over to me, and opened his palm. "Alright!"

I smiled and laughed at his childish self, and gave him a high-five. Donald and Goofy looked at the cards, and we were all pretty happy to be part of the team. I was especially happy, because I really felt like I was helping this time. Sora thanked Leon out loud, but when he didn't appear, Sora slapped his forehead, reminding us that we needed to be at the Bailey.

"Oh, before you go, have you guys been keeping up on your magic?" asked Merlin, who looked at all of us. Sora looked down at the floor, and placed a finger on this chin. I opened my palm, and thought about the spell of fire. I closed my eyes trying to concentrate, and when I opened them, a small speck of fire appeared above my palm.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed, seeing the flame. It disappeared quickly after, and Merlin chuckled. Sora tried doing the same, but when he couldn't he raised his eyebrow.

"I think you forget how to use your spells while you were asleep, Sora," stated Yuffie. Merlin agreed, saying that Sora most likely forgot. He lent some of his own spells to Sora, and he thanked him. Merlin looked over to me, and I wondered what was going on.

"You weren't asleep along with the rest, so I don't think that affected you and your spell casting abilities," he said, pushing back his glasses. He grabbed my hand, and examined it while making thinking noises. I raised my eyebrow, and I felt a little awkward as he looked at it. "Ah, yes. I was right. You didn't forget them, but you are a bit sluggish. Just keep firing those spells, and you'll be back to your regular magic casting self!"

"How can you tell just by looking at my palm?" I asked, taking back my hand. He chuckled again, and told us that he had the ability to tell. I was so amazed by what these wizards and witch could do with their prowess, and I really wanted to know all of their secrets. Sora reminded us about the Bailey, and when we began to leave, I felt two soft hands touch my shoulder while pulling me back.

"Sora, we need to borrow Marie alone for a while, if you don't mind?" asked Aerith, who smiled at Sora. He raised his eyebrow, but Yuffie pushed him out the door before he could ask. I looked at her while she did, and she kept smiling evilly.

"Don't worry Sora, she'll be returned to your arms soon," she replied, making Sora stammer and as he walked outside the door. Yuffie shut the door shut with her hip, and she looked back at me. "So... how are you and Sora?"

Yuffie smirked at me, and Aerith smiled. I raised my eyebrow, and I sat down on one of the chairs they had in the center of the room. I looked down at the floor, and I started thinking about Sora. He was acting weird, and so was everyone else. Why would they assume we were... together? I looked over to Yuffie and Aerith, who were happily waiting for a response. I noticed Cid sitting on his computer chair, pounding on the keyboard. I sighed before answering. "...Why would you assume there was anything between us?"

"...What?" asked Aerith, completely taken back from my answer. Yuffie scratched her head while looking at her, and then they both looked at me. Aerith walked a little closer to me, and she had a concerned look on her face. "But.. I thought you liked him?"

"Like him? Yeah, I like him—but as a friend!" I exclaimed, leaning my elbow against the table. "He keeps hugging me weirdly, like we're in love or something."

"But what about all those precious memories you guys had!" pleaded Yuffie, who swung her arms around. She and Aerith looked completely devastated, and they kept looking at each other while looking at me.

"I dunno what memories you guys are talking about," I said, getting up. "But Sora and I are just _friends_!"

Aerith placed a finger on her chin, thinking of something, and Yuffie just looked really sad. I didn't understand any of this, what was the big deal if I didn't like Sora like that? They make it seem like we're going to marry each other or something. Aerith snapped her fingers, and looked like she had an idea or something as she spoke. "Sora must have done something wrong! That's why you refuse to remember all those memories!"

"That makes sense!" exclaimed Yuffie. "Don't worry Marie, we'll give Sora a good talking to so that he begs for forgiveness from you!"

"I'm gonna go now," I flatly said. It was obvious what I was trying to say didn't get through to these girls, and as much as I love them, it was kind of annoying. I want someone, _anyone_ to understand what I think towards Sora—and it isn't love! I got up from my chair, and walked towards the door. But as I did, I tripped over something, and fell to the floor. "Augh!"

Aerith, Yuffie _and_ Cid ran towards me, and they asked me if I was alright. I sat up, and looked at my feet. I felt some pain on my left ankle, but it wasn't enough to make me scream out in pain. Aerith went up and got some cream to ease the pain, and both Yuffie and Cid sat beside me.

"Girl, you're a klutz, you know that?" stated Cid. I sighed, and looked at my ankle. I'm really not having a good day, huh?

ȶ**  
>Sora<strong>

As Sora leaned against the door, with his eyelids dropping halfway, he couldn't help but feel as if his heart had been torn apart from him. How could Marie be like that? What did he do to make her not like him anymore? Was it something he said? Something he did? He just didn't understand. His hand softly touched the door, and he tried very hard not to create a tear fall down his cheek.

Both Donald and Goofy also overheard the conversation, and they didn't know what to say to make Sora feel better. Honestly, this sort of situation was almost impossible to make light of, and they knew that. They parted from the door, and they looked at Sora sadly. They saw him try his very not to look like he was about to cry, but they knew him well enough. He _did_ want to cry.

As Sora slowly parted from the door, he leaned against it, and looked up into the sky. "What did I do wrong?"

Donald and Goofy lowered their head, unable to answer. The only thing they could do at this point was be very supportive of him, because Marie was acting very odd. How could she forget? They just didn't understand.

"She's probably still mad at me from that trip to Neverland!" realized Sora, who slapped his forehead. Of course, it was so simple to him. Marie was probably still mad at him for supposedly "confessing" his love for Kairi, and she tried not to be mad about it until now. Sora walked away from the door, and raised his fist into the air. "I dunno how I'm gonna do it, but I'm gonna make Marie forgive to the point where she won't get mad at me for anything!"

Donald and Goofy sighed while face palming their friend. They figured it was something more than just being mad at Sora, but they didn't want to ruin his hope or make him sad since... well, he was horrible to watch when he was sad.

"Well... you could always remind her of the love you guys have?" suggested Goofy, although feeling a bit confused about it. He didn't want to make things worse, but Sora's eyes lit up, and he placed his hand on his hips.

"That's exactly what I'll do!" he said, raising his hand. "But I have to be really quiet about it."

Sora rubbed his hands together while thinking of a plan to make Marie happy and not angry with him. As he thought on and on, he began to think of the kiss he wanted to give Marie. Yes, that would certainly please Marie, since it would show her how much he really loves her. As he heard the door open, he noticed Marie walking out of the room. He noticed a white ankle brace on her ankle, and he raised his eyebrow. "Whoa, what happened?"

"Silly me tripped when I was about to leave," she laughed, waving it off. "Don't worry though, it's... It doesn't hurt that much."

Sora looked at her, and she looked at him. She pulled a strained of hair behind her ear, and she started walking ahead of him. She turned around, and smiled at the boys. "Well, we gotta meet Leon at the Bailey, remember?"

Sora nodded, and they all walked over to the Bailey. As Sora watched Marie, he noticed that she was definitely being subtle about being mad. But that didn't matter, since he would make it all better.

* * *

><p>Wow, talk about complete denial. LOL.<p>

Well, Sora knows that Marie doesn't like him, but he took it out of context and is in complete denial and thinks she's just mad. Sora buddy, you don't know about girls, do you?

Sorry for the long wait, too busy with College that it's gotten me all stressed, depressed, and angry. Also caused an on-going block that will cause the next chapter to delay. DX

**Shadow 1n2: **Lol, I know. Poor Sora, he's always the butt of many jokes. That's cause Sora is like a puppy, you can't resist the puppy look. Haha, and true enough, though, I doubt Marie would care at this point since she's getting pretty annoyed at Sora trying to woo her. Already did! XD Ah, and Axel. He's actually the only character to say swear words like "damn," and "hell." But you're right in saying he would've said way more. Damn Disney. LOL, I saw that one! Oh my goodness, I couldn't breath when I saw that part. But it serves Zexion right, Twlight is NOT literature. XD

**Lvl-ZeR0:** Aha, thanks! Well, I am known to corrupt minds with dirty thoughts since I'm not a saint myself. There are some donuts that I don't like, like boston creme donuts. I would eat them, but ever since I threw them up when I was little, I've felt nauseous when I get near them. Same thing goes for pistachios, and I literally cried when that happened since I LOVE pistachios.

**Grapejuice101:** well, you should feel 100% bad for him for being delusional. Yeah, I don't think anyone wants to see him hurt, but I must do it for the sake of this story. And I'll make sure that when she remembers, it'll be full of fluff! 

**SisterOfScarletDevil:** Aha, thank you so much! I'm glad you didn't mind. This one is about 5,000 words, so it's not that long. XD

**Lele-the-Greek-Geek:** Haha, thank you! I'm glad you thought that, and yes, Sora is likeable for his Nativity. Yes, she has. Which reminds me, she hasn't appeared yet. She will soon enough though, like in two chapters. And poor Marie, she can never get a break on her birthday!

**Dracula X:** Thank you, and no problem. I could understand Sakura's voice for Marie, but not so much sam. Her voice is too chippy and happy for be Aura's. Sakura's voice is like between tom boy-ish and girly, which is a nice match for Marie. But I still like Estelle's voice from Tales of Vesperia. XD 

**dracula-key:** Thank you. Yeah, she forgot it sadly, but sweet Riku brought it back like the good boy he sort of is. Aha, well the history goes even further than that. Way before Marie was eve born. Augh, I know it's horrible to read, but we gotta bear it and wait for the fluff! 

**Kingdomdisney:** Or better yet, Marie's gonna find it annoying when he tried even harder. Poor boy is so in denial. DX And yes, hint hint, he might like her. But will Aura like him back? XD

**mysterygirl123:** Thank you! I know, she is alone... for now!

**InuyaKoneko:** Well, you could always see them on google. But I might draw them like how I described them in the story. I also went in quizilla, but I didn't see any stories. I was hoping to read some! XD Oh, and that's so nice of her. I wouldn't mind so long as I get to see it after it's done. XD 

**pokemonsora01:** That's alright, just glad you came for the after party. XD and thank you, I hope you liked this one. XD 

**guitarqueen136:** I really am grateful for you review, since it really touched my heart. I am so glad that you like this story, and the series along with it. I feel so incredibly honoured when someone tells me that I'm their most favoured author, and that you think these series are better than books and mangas. T_T I also want to thank you for saying that I get to work on video games, though unfortunately, I don't have the required courses for that., and it breaks my heart that I can't do what I love. I will try my best to keep inspiring you! And why, there might be a little love romance between Riku and Aura, though I think Roxas is still in the lead. 

**Choco3Symphony:** Yes it will, when he realizes the exact truth. Right now, he's in the first stage, which is denial. Then it'll be rage, then it'll be sadness, and THEN acceptance. LOL, you do not know how much that has happened to me. I'm like, "damn why aren't they updating?" an then I see they have like 42 chapters up without me realizing all because I forgot to add it to my list. XD

**XxStarHeartxX:** Aww, thank you! Yes, it is going to be a very emotional story, and this is just the calm before the emotional storm. DX unfortunately, she'll never know who gave her that flower, until Riku tells her himself, which I kind of doubt. But I hope you liked this chapter! 

**Starlightmint72:** That's fine, and don't worry. Updates are pretty so since I'm mad busy with these stupid forms for College. Ugggh. And thank you! I really love creating clothes, I think I should be a fashion designer. XD and you're right, it's suppose to balance Marie out, since she's the nice one. In a symbolic way, anyways, since I am all about symbolism. XD And thank you! Take your time, since I won't be answering them till Stella's story comes out, and the story for KH3. XD

**Kurai-Darkness:** Yeah, they're horrible to watch on TV. XD but I love reading about them because some people have more creativity than TV writters. XD


	8. Family is a pain

To view Marie's outfit, please go here:

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

Sorry for the incredibly long wait, but I had to go to my classes for college. I feel a little more... on the line, I guess.

Introducing a _new_ OC. Gosh, I keep pulling these things like no tomorrow. I swear my ass is an infinite hole of unending creation of Ocs.

Okay, that sounded kind of bad. But you get it. Unfortunately, this OC will not be fully seen in this story. His time will come in a short story after this story is done, and his big debut will be in the KH3 story. You can see his picture here:

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/Ryan-259720817

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight<br>ଓ  
>Family is a pain<strong>

_Right now, you may not know what's going on..._

..._But someday, you will. _

_Someday... You'll understand exactly what I went through._

Stella opened her eyes, and sighed quietly to herself. She had been taking a small nap, in fact, it had been the first nap in so many years. With her constant worry over her own daughter, Stella never once had a good night's sleep. But why could she sleep well, all of a sudden? Perhaps it was the security she had within her daughter, the feeling of knowing that she was going to succeed, no matter what came her way.

As she got up from the bed-like thing she was lying on, she looked over to it. To any human, the things she was sleeping on would appear weird to them, they even appeared weird to Stella at first. They were like pods, but with mattresses and pillows, assuming Kingdom Hearts used human materials for such matters. She walked over to the main control room, and noticed _he _was sitting where she always sat. He was watching videos off his now deceased family, and she only watched.

It was still weird to her how Kingdom Hearts worked...A ship with no captain. It had every memory of every person, and unlimited power. Right now, since they took Marie's power back, Kingdom Hearts was back to it's full powers. Right now, Stella had to be more protective of both Marie and Kingdom Hearts, since evil was lingering not too far from them.

As she saw the videos he was looking at, a certain person appeared. Her eye had twitched, for she didn't like the person she was looking at, but they meant a lot to him, to Dante.

"I'm sorry things had to go the way they did," she said, crossing her arms while walking towards him. "I wish I could've changed some things."

"...Nah, it's aright," he replied, not looking back from the videos. "It was the only way to stop her..."

Stella sighed, and walked up to him. She could tell that he was undeniably saddened by losing his only family, and because of that, she wished she was able to change some things. Dante looked back at Stella, and he chuckled lightly while pulling her closer to him. She smiled at him, and rested her palms on his shoulders while he rested his head on her side, smiling to himself. "It's odd how I think her death is both a blessing and a curse..."

"Why is that?" asked Stella, looking at the videos of herself with Dante. He took a deep breath, and held on tighter to his love.

"Because her provoking caused your power to unleash," he replied, looking at her straight in the eyes. "It's a blessing because that power flowed into Marie, and now she's doing what she's always wanted; to help people. But, at the same time, it's a curse because we're in this place watching Marie go through everything alone."

Stella smiled at Dante, and stroked his cheek with her hand. The softness from her hand made Dante smile a bit, but he was still sad about Marie being alone. However, this was not how Stella thought. She looked at Dante before kissing his head, and rested her chin on it. "Marie is not alone... she has someone who is her equal... her soul-mate."

"Who, Sora?" asked Dante, showing a little hostility towards the name. "He's okay, but..."

Dante looked around the room, and thought it out a bit. "I think Roxas would make a better suitor, don't you think?"

Stella watched as Dante took out a piece of paper and a pencil, writing down pros and cons on the two boys known as Sora and Roxas. She couldn't help but slap her face at the fact that Dante could be so... difficult and weird at the same time. Of course, she understood his reasoning. What father wouldn't be concerned about who their daughter wanted to date? Dante was one of the many over-protective, over-caring, and ever-loving fathers out there. Stella sighed, and thought about making his little conflict interesting.

"What about Riku? He seems like a gentlemen," asked Stella, knowing what Dante would say.

"Are you crazy!" he exclaimed, looking at the women and wondering if she had gone insane. "He seems like a pretty strong candidate, but he'd whip out moves in an instant. He seems almost as pro as me."

Stella sighed, and chuckled. "What pro? It's no surprise that Riku is cooler than you."

"Hey, I resent that."

ଓ**  
>Aura<strong>

She walked along the road of Twilight Town, and watched as everyone in it was having fun. She sighed to herself, and couldn't help but realize just how everyone was so happy _but_ her. She didn't mind it too much, since she no longer had feelings.

...Or at least that was what she wanted to believe. She couldn't deny the fact that she indeed had feelings, and they were getting stronger and stronger each day. If it were like in the days, she would have ran up to Roxas, and tell her everything about it. But where was he when she needed him? It seemed to be a habit of his to leave like that.

Aura stopped in the middle of the sandbox, and placed her left hand over her right arm. She didn't really know how lonely felt until that moment. She really wanted to see Roxas, but somehow, in her mind... that seemed impossible.

"You look more human, nowadays," said a familiar voice, approaching the down guarded Aura. She turned around, and without having to show emotion, stared at Riku. He chuckled nervously, and then placed his hands on his hips. "Well, at least when no one is around to see that human side of you."

"No one's asking you," she replied, no feelings being shown whatsoever. She looked around, and then crossed her arms while staring back at Riku. "Why are you here?"

"What, I can't see you anymore?" he replied, to which Aura could almost _feel_ the smirk he had plastered on his face. She sighed, and kissed her teeth. Another thing she couldn't deny was the fact that Riku had somehow rubbed on her. His words about almost anything made her feel... _alive._ Every word that he said gained more yearning for his friends, and the way he talked about them made Aura feel right. This was how it was meant to be, but... someone was obviously missing. Roxas.

It hurt a lot to have emotions, and Aura was one of the unlucky few to experience it. She hated feeling sad, or angry, because it made her feel weak. She looked up into the sky, and sighed heavily.

Riku took a glance at this, and he couldn't help but stare at her. He didn't—and couldn't—understand why this silent and lifeless girl was always on his mind. Was it because she was Marie's other half? Nah, he thought. He was certain that Marie was nothing more than a friend, and nothing less. Was it because her stoic expressions made him feel angry? Possibly. He absolutely hated the fact that Aura showed no emotion to anything, or at least not towards him. There was a possibility that she showed _some_, but it was never when he was in the vicinity. For some reason, he felt as if the young brunette didn't trust him enough to show him her true feelings.

She was rowdy, he'd give her that. If there was _any_ type of emotion she showed, it was anger. Eyebrows furrowed together, and a constant frown on her face, Riku began to wonder if anger was the _only_ emotion she was capable of handling.

Yet, despite all this, he just couldn't get her out of his mind. Was it guilt? He thought maybe, since he took away the only person she loved. Or was it obligatory? Being the other half of Marie certainly made Riku want to protect Aura, if only to fulfil a silent favour. Either way, the young silver-headed boy couldn't understand, but he was eager to find out why. He wanted to see Aura as a human, and not as a soulless nobody. He knew she had feelings, but as he previously saw, she hid them very well.

"I may not be Roxas," he said, walking a little closer to Aura. "But I can still be a shoulder for you to cry on."

while saying this, Aura lightly gasped, raising her shoulders in the process. Hearing Roxas' name from Riku certainly wasn't expected from Aura. She hadn't heard his name from anyone in a long while, the only other person who did disappeared into a flame of angry fires. But what she wasn't expecting, was the sudden inability to control the feeling of crying after hearing his name. Hearing his name from someone else other than her or Axel gave the sudden impression that Roxas still existed, and it gave the sudden hope that maybe one day.. she might see him.

However, that was short lived when she composed herself. No matter how much she hoped... no matter how much she wished... Roxas was not coming back, and she had to live with that.

"I don't need your shoulder," she replied, walking slowly towards him. With every step she took, an imaginary knife stabbed her straight into her chest. Whatever stubborn force she held in front of her, she just couldn't admit that she needed Roxas.

"There are things in life that will cause you to fall," she said, slowly walking past Riku by now. "I won't allow such things to happen to me. I must stay strong."

Riku merely stood there when Aura fully walked past him, and hung his head low. He truly pitied her, though he didn't want to. He wanted her to be happy, and to smile with joy. But no matter how hard he tried, she was not Marie.

ଓ**  
>Ryan<strong>

"Dude, come on!" shouted a very determined youth with blonde hair and blue eyes. "We can't win this year's soccer tournament if you're always slacking off!"

"Last I recall, Tidus, you always slacked during practice," a calm, yet eager youth with brown hair and blue eyes said while bearing a smirk. "Plus, the doctor said I shouldn't overdo it too much. I know you guys wanna win, but this is something you'll all have to suffer with, too."

"It's okay, ya?" an older teen with red hair and brown eyes said, holding on to a soccer ball with his right arm. "We'll just take it slow, no need to worry, ya?"

"Thanks, Wakka," thanked the boy with brown hair and blue eyes, he gave him a thumbs up, and Wakka dispersed the other members. They all left the camp, heading back to their homes. Wakka, Tidus, and the boy all walked towards each other, and Tidus patted the boy's back.

"So, what _did_ the doctor say about it?" he asked, interested in what the youth would say.

"Well, if I keep my activities moderate I'll do fine," replied the boy, who swiped off the excess sweat from his forehead. "But boy, it sucks being diagnosed as anaemic."

"It's no big deal, ya? You're getting better, and it wasn't like back when you were a kid," reminded Wakka, who also patted the boy's back. "You're a strong kid, Ryan."

"And a strong kid needs himself a girlfriend!" Ryan exclaimed happily. He laughed, and and scratched the back of his head. "But none of the girls in our school are fit for a strong, handsome and charming guy like me!"

"_Yeah, right._" Tidus looked at Ryan and rolled his eyes, and then chuckled. "It's more like the girls aren't crazy enough for you. Admit it, Ryan, you need someone who can handle your 'specialness', haha."

Ryan slapped Tidus arm, and the three boys laughed together. For as long as Ryan could remember, he's only had Tidus and Wakka as best friends. Sometimes Selphie joined in on their fun, but she quickly left after Ryan pulled his moves on her. It was not unknown to the whole school that Ryan was very much an insane flirt, constantly pulling moves on anything that was the opposite sex.

However, most girls were nice to him due to his illness, but he could tell. Almost instantly, he would drop the flirty personality once he found out a girl was giving him pity out of his illness. He really hated it.

"Hey, I noticed you never flirt with Kairi, why is that?" Tidus asked, looking confused and interested at the same time.

"Eh, not my type," replied Ryan, who had his arms crossed together. "Plus she's always in her own little world, and she's too quiet... And you know me, I like a girl who's loud!"

"...Why do I get the feeling that was meant to sound _wrong_?" asked Tidus, who twitched his eye at the perverse thinking his friend was making him do.

"Haha, you know me," Ryan said while winking.

ଓ**  
>Marie<strong>

"Marie?"

I looked over to Sora, who called my name. We reached the bailey quite a while ago, and Leon told us to look towards the castle in the centre. I couldn't comprehend what I saw and it made me speechless. We all saw a horde of Heartless surrounding the castle, and I gasped in shock. Leon told us that he and the rest wanted to restore Hollow Bastion to the way it was—maybe even something better—but due to too many Heartless, and some nobodies wondering around, it almost seemed impossible.

We did mention to Leon that a guy named Pete was trying to take over the worlds or something by manipulating the Heartless. Leon was happy to hear that, and we also told him that our main focus were the nobodies.

Of course, we also need to take Organization XIII into consideration, since Yen Sid did say they were very bad people. Goofy voiced this to Leon, and all of a sudden, we heard a voice.

"You called?"

We all jumped to our toes, and Sora looked around. Leon calmly looked around as well, but when we could find anyone near us, Sora ran up towards where the voice was last heard. I followed a little far behind, mainly because a mysterious voice is not something I would want to follow.

"You're doing well." the voice said, which was really starting to spook me out. I don't know where it was coming from, but the more I thought about these voices, the more on edge I was getting.

"Who's that!" shouted Sora. He took out his Keyblade, and frantically looked around. I walked a little closer towards him, Goofy and Donald, and scrunched my hands together out of fear. Something you can't see is definitely scary.

"This calls for a celebration..."

As soon as the guy's voice finished, a bunch of nobodies appeared in front of us. Some went to our left, to which Donald and Goofy ran after, and a lot went closer towards the gates near the bailey. Sora went after the ones towards the bailey, and Leon followed close behind. I was about to follow Sora, but then I saw a few nobodies heading to my right. I hesitated for a bit, but decided to go after the ones on the right. Sora was alright by himself, and Goofy had Donald.

I sprung out my Keyblade, and ran after the lesser nobodies. I didn't even stop to think if they were stronger than me or not, but I had to do something to protect this home. I didn't run to fast or anything, due to my ankle brace, and I was being very cautious about my surroundings. One thing I was grateful for—and I always say this—was my ability to be extremely aware of things. I always did this on my last adventure, and now it's like a habit I can't get rid of.

I walked slowly now, and I held my Keyblade close. I heard a whooshing noise, and when I quickly turned around, I widened my eyes as I was met with someone in a black cloak—the same black cloak Organization XIII wear! I took a stance in front of the person, and I glared at him. He crossed his arms, and I heard a faint chuckle from him. "Do you think you'll get out of this alive?"

I shuddered; scared to think what might happen. I was never this scared, but I knew it was most likely due to the fact that I lost all my power from Kingdom Hearts. The voice of the man was not the same voice we heard before, so they're obviously not the same person. He took a step forward, and I instantly raised my Keyblade closer to him.

"We will not harm you. Instead, we ask you to join us," he said, raising his hands towards the air. I continued to glare at him, and I could feel my legs getting shaky. _Great _timing on my part, really. The man kept walking closer and closer towards me, and I backed away with every step he took. I felt something hard, rough, and cold touch my back. I turned around, and noticed that I was leaning against a stone wall. I turned around, and started breathing quickly. I felt my anxiety rise as the man kept walking closer and closer. This isn't happening, this couldn't be happening. What is this, I don't even—

Subtracting me from my thoughts, I suddenly felt this familiar power. It was warm and welcoming, and it felt similar to the power I previously had... but it wasn't quite like it. Was this the power that Stella had been talking about? The power that I could produce on my own?

As fast as it came, the power left quickly. It left with such a force, that I had to bend down after gasping to collect my breath. The man in the black cloak still stood there, and it was impossible to see what his facial expression was like. Had he seen how I acted? Of course, he was staring at me the whole time. Which is pretty creepy...

"I don't know what you want with me, nor do I care. All I know is that you're the bad guys!" I said, getting into my battle stance. That surge of power boosted my esteem, if only a little, and I was able to focus. "I'm not going with you, but I'll make sure you tell me what you're looking for!"

I quickly ran towards the man, and raised my blade to attack him. He blocked the attack, and I was pushed back. I planted my palm firmly on the ground, and did a cartwheel so that I wouldn't fall on the floor. I ran—more like magically glided—towards him, and swung my Keyblade at him. He blocked the attack, but I didn't hesitate to attack him again. I managed to to leave a little scratch on him. Eh, better than nothing, I suppose. As I stood my ground, I saw the guy take out his weapon. He was holding a long blue lance, and suddenly, I wasn't feeling so hot. I twitched my left eyebrow at the pain this guy was being, and I raised my Keyblade. I concentrated on my ice spell, and I closed my eyes while holding my Keyblade straight up. As I opened my eyes, the stars on my Keyblade turned blue, and three ice spears headed straight towards the guy.

...Which proved useless as he blocked them all easily. I really hate that lance. As I sighed in mid-defeat, I noticed the guy started running towards me. He held up his lance, and I gasped. I blocked the first attack, but barely the second. He attacked again, and this time... He managed to throw my Keyblade away. Defenceless, I look at the guy. I thought he said he wasn't going to harm me! _Yeah right!_

As I cover my face with my arms forming an X, I waited for the attack.

Except..

It never came.

As I looked up, I noticed a girl wearing a light blue hood and a dark blue top was blocking the guy's attack. I couldn't help but gasp at what she was using to actually block the guy.

It was a Keyblade.

* * *

><p>Sorry for the long wait. I was in a rather dark place, and going through some depression. I'm back though, and I'm in a writing mood. I have some assignments to do, so if I'm not updating quickly, blame them. XD<p>

Also, I'll tell you now that there'll be a wait again after this chapter. The reason why is that I want to release about 5 chapters all at once to make up for the lost time I've given you wonderful readers. So I would try not to review after the next one, since I won't reply until the fifth chapter is out.

**grapejuice101:** Ah yes. Sora will find out soon. But that won't mean he'll come to understand it. He might get even more depressed. XD

**kingdomdisney:** Naw he doesn't . DX

**Shadow 1n2:** Holy loooong review. XD It will happen if he pushes her buttons hard enough. And thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate it. I'm done with the whole dark phase thing, and I'm no longer depressed about certain things. I have been busy and keeping myself with school and stupid assignments. I have a lot of crap to do that I have no time for anything else, so writing this chapter is nothing short of a miracle for me.

**Lele-the-Greek-Geek:** LOL. I love Sora but he's too oblivious. And yes, he does share the birthday curse. XD And oh man, College is soooooooo darn awesome. But the workload is sooooooooo darn much! Ah well, my bag is looking cuter by the day, and I get to bring my laptop around with me!

**SisterOfScarletDevil:** XDXDXD. It is very awesome, after all.

**Dracula X:** Yeah, surprisingly, it does. But they are teenagers, and well... teenagers are like the most dramatic out of any age group.

**Lvl-ZeR0:** Thank you so much! Ahaha, oh man. Yeah, it makes me feel bad for some guys out there. I know this one guy who is like immune to girls and their flirtatious ways. And that's how I would feel too for spaghetti. I LOVE spaghetti!

**Captainface:** Glad to have ya. Mmm, well. This chapter has been out for so long, I actually no longer feel anything towards relationships now. There is a guy I like, but I'm trying my best to overlook it, I guess.

**Dracula-key:** Yes, you're right. It'll be harder when he finds out that she actually forgot though. And yes, it was. XD but some of her memory is still foggy due to remembering too early. And yes, she has Lea and Isa on her head, but it's not being expressed very well.

**InuyaKoneko:** Oh man, lol. I never watched Cars 2, but I heard it was a really good movie. XD I'm so sorry for the late update, but if you're still waiting impatiently it's Pena. And I'm sorry to hear that about her, I hope she gets out of that soon. I know being depressed sucks, but I move on cause I know people are expecting a chapter from me. :) oh, and, Marie doesn't go to Space Paranoids, so she doesn't have an outfit.

**TheEvilMonkey94:** Thank you! And no problem, it is a very good story after all.

**SKArainbow:** Ahh, I'm so sorry! -bows down to apologize- here's the latest chapter, and I'll hurry to write more!

**Guitarqueen136:** LOL I know, I love it. You're psychic... aren't you?

**Starlightmint72:** Glad you're catching up. Yeah, I suck at updating now, but I'm trying hard to add as many chapters as I can. XD and no worries, I'll be here now to read everything and all. I really hope I can get these chapters done. And yeah, a lot of people are telling me that they think Marie and Sora are their OTP? I dunno what those words stand for. Or is it OTL? I forget. XD


	9. Old enemies?

Alright, so this is 1 out of the 4 chapters that will be posted consecutively. Hopefully I can do this without tiring myself out, since it's been a while—although short—since I've had to write.

By the way, I'm sick. Annnd, I've noticed that when I'm sick I do a lot of mistakes In terms of spelling and grammar. I struggle so baaad. DX ugggh.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>  
>ଓ<strong><br>Old enemies?**

It was rather hard trying to fight off the nobodies while protecting the gate, but if he could protect Marie while fighting how hard can an inanimate object be to protect?

Of course, he had to take in the fact that Marie knew how to fight. The gate couldn't move, so the nobodies could obviously attack it. Sora growled, feeling irritated about these new monsters. He was more concerned for Marie, since he knew she didn't have her powers anymore. He was still determined to make up for what he did back at Neverland, and he couldn't wait to see Marie when she would forgive him.

He attacked another nobody, making it fall over. Although he wasn't as concentrated on them, he was still kicking their butts pretty hard. He peered over his shoulder, and noticed Leon fighting off some of the lesser nobodies. Looking at him—as well as Aerith, Yuffie and Cid—reminded Sora about how Hollow Bastion was another place Marie could call home. It made him wonder on how she stood on it. Would she go back with him to the islands, or would she actually stay in Hollow Bastion? He wanted her to go back with him, and that was the honest truth.

He was allowed to be selfish every now and then, right? If so, then he would happily call himself that if Marie was brought back to the islands with him. Sora looked at the other nobodies surrounding him, and attacked them all while casting his fire spell he received from Merlin. Of course, before any of that could happen, he needed to fight the nobodies blocking his path.

As he fought off the nobodies, he wondered how Marie, Donald and Goofy were doing fighting the rest of the nobodies.

ଓ**  
>Marie<strong>

It was weird.

I couldn't move, and as I watched this girl's back I slowly started falling down to the floor. My back scrapped against the brick wall, but I couldn't feel it as my mind was on one thing.

That Keyblade.

Why did she have a Keyblade? What force was there for her to even have one? Did it choose her as it's wielder? There were so many questions, but I couldn't even open my mouth and ask who she was.

"So, you live..."

I heard the guy talk, defending his stance in front of the girl. I couldn't even look at her face, since she was wearing a hood, but I had a very familiar feeling about her. As I watched the guy jump back, the girl merely walked towards him. I could tell she was griping the Keyblade since her palms were getting red, and all I could was just... _stare._

"You should have known better than to leave."

Leave? Did this girl know this guy? Well, I would assume so. It's not common at all to just stop a battle and take out your weapon at a random guy who probably didn't do anything. But I didn't know their history, so maybe she had a fight to finish. In any case, as I watched, I saw the girl run quickly towards the man.

He blocked her attack but from what I could tell, it looked as if she snapped her fingers, which oddly sent him flying backwards. He landed nicely enough, and he growled at her. I still couldn't see her face, but she ran towards the man again. This time, however, he created a black portal. He walked backwards toward it, and she followed closely behind.

And in the blink of the an eye, the battle was already over. I had to blink my eyes a couple of times to actually settle in the fact that there had been a fight going on. I got up slowly, and hissed lightly at the slight pain I was getting from my back. I didn't realize it til after, but the scraping I had done against the wall left a red mark on my upper right shoulder. I shrugged, and healed myself. There, good as new. As I patted off the excess dirt from my shirt and shorts, I saw Donald and Goofy running towards me.

"Marie, are you okay?" asked Goofy. I nodded, and looked at them.

"Those nobodies sure are a pain," I said, rubbing my nose. "who knew we had to split up just to fight the low levelled ones."

Goofy and Donald suggested going back to Sora, and I agreed. I almost forgot about Sora, but then again, he's acting weird. So not thinking about him was probably a good thing. Well, as we walked towards where Sora and Leon were, we were stopped by those very two guys.

"Sora!" shouted Donald, looking quite happy and relieved. Sora smiled brightly, and he waved at us. Leon merely crossed his arms, and gave the usual grunt of satisfaction. As I was about to say something, I heard someone speak.

"The Keyblade...A truly marvellous weapon."

Sora immediately took out his Keyblade, and he ran a little ahead of us. We were all on our guards, and Sora looked around. I was prepared to take out my Keyblade, but yet again, we heard the same voice.

"Were it only in more...capable hands..."

Sora growled, and I could tell he was getting irritated. But as I heard a bunch of people laugh, I gasped, and looked around. Sora had the same idea as he shouted at them. "Show yourselves!"

as soon as he said that, a man in a black cloak appeared. It wasn't the same guy I was about to fight a while ago, since his frame looked bigger. But the fact that there was more of them definitely irked me a lot. As this guy raised his hands in the air, more and more people in black cloaks appeared. It was then that I saw the guy I was about to fight, or more like the guy that was fighting that girl. I placed a hand on my chest, and wondered if that girl was alright... I hope so, since I don't want anyone to get hurt on my account.

"Organization XIII!" shouted Goofy as he pointed at them. Sora looked behind him and to us. Goofy and Donald gave him a nod of reassurance, most likely to confirm that they were ready to fight them. As he looked at me, I looked down at the floor. Once I looked up, I noticed Sora raised his eyebrow. I smiled weakly, and nodded with uncertainly. I dunno why, but I was feeling really inferior.

Sora raised his Keyblade, and shouted at how we were ready to fight them. I looked up at them, and the guy in the middle mocked us by saying he was hoping to be friends. I looked away from them, thinking back on what the guy said. _Instead, we ask you to join us._

The lot laughed, and one by one they disappeared. Donald grew angry, and ran to try and reach them. Sora and Goofy followed, and I did as well—although slowly. When I heard Donald quack, I watched as a guy in the same black cloak appear in front of him. Donald looked back to where they were before, and then back to the man as he shouted. "What's the big idea!"

"Oopsy-daisy!" _Oopsy-daisy? _What was this guy? Three years old? Although, I don't know why his voice sounded so familiar. Sora violently swung his arm across, and told the guy to move. The guy, on the other hand, shook his head and slouched his shoulders as he spoke. "Now do you think that's polite, shutting me down like that?"

Sora once again told the guy to move, but the loser just wouldn't listen. "As if! You can talk all you want, but that won't change a thing."

Donald was the one to speak up now, as he told the guy we were going to _make_ him move instead. I sighed mentally to myself, why did I get the feeling of familiarity from this guy? Sora and Goofy took their stance, and Donald looked at the guy with such fierce intensity.

"See, that would work—If I were just any old dude." The man waved his arms around for emphasis, and then pointed at himself after while speaking again. "'Cept I'm not. I'm with the Organization. Nothing "any old" about me."

Sora laughed as he mocked the guy, telling him how he stood on the sidelines while the low levelled nobodies did all the fighting. The man didn't even feel offended, instead, he was just getting cockier. He told us we got the wrong impression, and how he was going to "remind" us how tough these guys are. Both Sora and I tilted our heads in confusion, but Sora seemed way more confused than I.

The man laughed, and then looked at us. "That's _right_, he used to give me that exact same look."

I raised my eyebrow in confusion, and just stood there awkwardly as Sora growled. He swung his arm around again, and glared at the man. "I guess you think you can psych me out by saying random stuff!"

"Gee...I just don't know." The man, as well as us, just stood here for a while. Sora, Donald and Goofy all had their weapons out, and I was the only one who didn't. Well, the guy didn't, but he doesn't count. I held my hand to my chest, and it was balled up into a fist. Why this familiar feeling? Why with him?

"But I wonder about one thing," he said, looking at us. Sora and Donald growled, while Goofy only stared with his shield covering most of his face. I crossed my left arm, making my hand hold onto to my right arm. I looked at the man, and I felt like his eyes were on me, I felt this intense feeling coming from him. I couldn't help but feel distraught when I heard him speak. "Why didn't you die when the chance was given?"

He didn't point or anything, so we didn't know who he meant that to. But somehow...I felt like he meant it to me. If he did, what did he know about me? Was he hiding something, or worse, did he actually know me? I could feel the breaths of anxiety stirring up in me, and I just wanted to get away. But as I tried controlling my breathing, I noticed it slowly going away.

The man said something—I don't know what—and then left in the same black portal as the other guy did. I sighed heavily, and decided to get what he said out of my mind. I looked over to Sora, Donald and Goofy, who were all scratching their heads. Sora was weirded out by what the guy said, which of course, made sense. "_who_ gave him the same look?"

"I think he was just tryin' to confuse ya," assured Goofy. Sora looked at him, and smiled brightly.

"Yeah, you're right!" he cheerfully replied. "Only one me!"

Leon walked towards us, having watched all of what happened, as Sora took out his membership card. He read the imprint, and as soon as he finished, the card began to glow. We all gasped in surprise as the card floated above us; it felt almost familiar. When it got higher, Sora's Keyblade started to glow as well. Leon asked what was going on, and I could also feel Goofy and Donald's eyes on me—probably because they were wondering why my Keyblade wasn't lighting up.

I wondered that, too.

As the light on Sora's Keyblade got brighter, he used both his hands to hold it up. A light appeared underneath his feet, and it was the shape of a crown. A whirlwind of light appeared around him, and a ray of light appeared from his card. It pointed out into the sky, and suddenly a keyhole appeared! I stood in understanding at what it meant. This was probably what Yen Sid was talking about—unlocking paths to new worlds, this was it.

"Ohh... now I get it," said Sora, realizing the same thing I was thinking. "The gates Yen sid was talking about..."

Sora immediately turned to Leon, and told him we had to run. New worlds were calling us, and to be honest...I'm really looking forward to it. Leon gave us a short goodbye, and told us to be careful about Organization XIII. Of course, they're the enemy... but, why do I feel so differently about it all?

Well...I guess I'll have to look into it later.

ଓ**  
>Aura<strong>

Aura bent down slightly to catch her breath. Apparently, Xaldin had gotten away. She growled lightly at the thought, and couldn't believe that he had gotten a lot stronger than before.

_They're probably scared about Sora being awake, or that Marie is on the loose. _Of course, she didn't know for sure. Kingdom Hearts was a power to be reckoned with, and they knew that. They knew Marie would try to hunt them down sooner or later, but Aura couldn't see it. She could only picture the girl crying asking why they were even fighting, which was why it was _her_ job to make sure that didn't happen.

As she caught her breath, she was able to hear the noise of a portal appearing. She braced herself for another fight, hoping this time she could actually hit someone. But as she turned around, her eyes turned wider than saucers as she was staring at the person she expected least. "Axel..."

There in front of the youth, stood a very solemn Axel. He was not smirking, or showing any signs of life. She looked away, unable to meet eyes with him. It was clear to her that something was wrong with Axel, but she didn't want to show that she was concerned. As much as it pained her, she had to treat Axel like the enemy.

"What are you doing here?" she said in a cold and uncaring voice. He blinked, and didn't respond. _What the hell?_ She was starting to get annoyed, just what was Axel thinking about? She shook her head, and decided not to stay. She turned around, and waved her hand and told him she was leaving.

But before Aura could move, Axel was suddenly in front of her, and pinned her down to the ground. She grunted in pain, and tried to get away from his grasp. She had her eyes closed, and couldn't bear to look at him. She was scared that if she did...she would cry.

"I'm sorry," was all he could say, and it was barely a whisper. Aura gasped lightly, and looked at the ground beside her. Twilight Town was suppose to hold happy memories, not those of pain and hatred. She tried pushing him off, but the guy's weight was twice as heavy as her's. Without even thinking, she turned and looked at him. All she saw in return...were dead eyes.

"If I can't bring you back, I have to kill you," he said, a tiny bit louder than before. It was starting to make sense why he was acting so differently; he didn't want to do either of those. She stared into his eyes, and tried to find something—_anything_ to see if he was still alive on the inside. She didn't want to let her guard down, but this man was Axel. This man was someone she trusted and loved with her life.

"Axel, _please_," she said, with obvious desperation in her voice. Her voice was low, and barely shaky. She had to keep her composure, even to her most trusted and loyal friend. "I can't die. I've done something that I _need_ to fix."

Axel tilted his head a bit. He looked at her, as if to keep going on. She gave out a breathless sigh, and continued. "Marie doesn't know that she loves Sora. I need to fix this, so Sora doesn't fall into depression or something. _Please_.. let me go."

Axel only stared at her. She was pinned down to the ground, with the red-head on top of her. She stopped looking at him because it was too unbearable, why was this happening to her? Why was her friend doing this to her?

Before she could do anything else, Axel had gotten off of her. She gasped, and quickly jumped away from him. She took out her Keyblade, and this time her guard was fully up. He just stood there, unable to do anything. He didn't want to be the one to bring her back. He didn't want to be the one to kill her if he couldn't bring her back.

Instead, he wanted to be the one she smiled at. He wanted to be the one she could tell her problems too. But that was impossible, since they were now enemies. Axel grabbed his head, and Aura took notice. She was about to approach him, but then he suddenly gave out a loud yell. She stood there staring at his obviously hurting friend, and didn't know what to do.

Axel bent down on one knee, and started breathing heavily. He got up after a long while, and Aura only stared. He looked up at her, and she saw something different in his eyes. A sign of plea, perhaps?

"_Go.._" was all he could whisper. Aura took a hard, long look at him, and then left. She disappeared into her portal, and didn't look back at all. Axel slouched, and sighed. He hated this. He really did.

"Hmph. I know you're not injured." A man from the shadows appeared. A man Axel knew all too well. A man named Saix. He walked towards Axel, slowly and confidently. He stopped a inch away from him, and gave him a cold look.

"Well, I hope you found out something," he said, glaring at Axel. "If you did, that could spare your life from being turned into a dusk."

Axel looked away, and couldn't look at his once best friend. "She said Marie lost her memories of ever loving Sora, saying if she didn't fix it, he could get depressed or something."

"I see."

Saix began to think. This was perfect. This was the perfect news that he was waiting for. By using this knowledge, Saix could almost guarantee that Sora would fall into his ability to manipulate. All he had to do was play with his feelings for Marie, and that would surely bring down the boy's confidence. Saix chuckled, and walked away from Axel. He went through his portal, and decided on how to take on his plan.

Axel stood there, defenceless and alone. He betrayed his friend, and he didn't feel right about it at all. This was nothing like Castle Oblivion, where he didn't care if he betrayed his team-mates. This was Aura, someone who genuinely cared for him. He dropped his shoulders, and just stared at the floor.

He really wanted his friends back.

ଓ**  
>Marie<strong>

We boarded the Gummi Ship, and instantly we were able to see the next world. I already set the weapons and defence shields so that Donald and Goofy could use them, and I made sure the ship was okay. It was actually really hard, and I'm not so sure about the checking up part. But if the ship falls apart or something, at least I'll know I did something wrong...ehe.

As Donald and Goofy punched in some buttons, Sora turned his chair around. He smiled at all of us, and I found it weird. So I had to ask. "What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm, nothing." he placed his hands behind his head, and stretched his legs as he was now sitting lazily on his chair. "Actually, I wonder why your Keyblade wasn't working when mine was."

"Yeah, what gives?" intruded Donald. Goofy didn't say anything, as he was trying to figure out which buttons to punch in. I sighed, and looked at the screen in front of me.

"I think it's because of my powers," I said as I crossed my legs. I didn't look at the guys. "Sora doesn't have any powers like I do, so I think he's able to focus more on his keyblade's power."

"So that means you won't unlock gates with me?" I heard him ask. I noticed slight sadness in his tone, but I decided to ignore it.

"It's okay, really." To be honest, I was happy about that. Not because Sora's acting weird, but I felt like it was one less responsibility for me. And lately, my life has revolved around being responsible. I finally looked at Sora and Donald, and smiled at them. "Plus, I can't take all of Sora's spotlight."

Donald and Sora laughed, and I continued to smile. This was nice, you know. Without having Sora to hit on me or anything, I was actually able to hold a normal and fun conversation with him.

"Alright then," Sora said as he turned his chair around. "We're heading out!"

Goofy and Donald had already finished their preparations, and they gave the go to Sora. He nodded back, and started up the ship. He was still getting the hang of it, since he pushed the gas pedal too fast. I know I can trust Sora to protect my back, but I'm not so sure how safe I am while he drives.

* * *

><p>Alright, chapter Nine is out! XD hope you guys liked it.<p>

And poor Axel, he's really stuck between a rock and a hard place. I hope Aura can still see the good in him.


	10. Nightmares are scary

Alright, so this is 2 out of the 4 chapters that will be posted consecutively. Hopefully I can do this without tiring myself out, since it's been a while—although short—since I've had to write. By the way, I'm sick. Annnd, I've noticed that when I'm sick I do a lot of mistakes In terms of spelling and grammar. I struggle so baaad. DX ugggh.

**Warning:**

The beginning of this chapter is quite dark. But definitely shows Sora's concern. :3

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Ten<strong>  
>ଓ<strong><br>Nightmares are scary**

_She was standing in a field of flowers, and wearing a cream coloured dress. She spun around, and giggled along as she did. He smiled at her, and sat on a bench nearby as she acted like an innocent child._

_Then, all of a sudden, the scenery changed. The sky that was once blue and calm, turned grey and frightening. The field of flowers turned into a barren land. And the girl that was dancing stopped, and looked out into the distance._

_He got up from his bench, and quickly walked towards her. He was pushed back by a force though, and the girl looked at him with frightened eyes._

"_Marie..."_

_As she walked towards him, he felt like she was getting farther and farther. He got up, and started running to her. She stopped, and as he felt like he was getting closer, someone appeared behind her. He shouted, but his voice was not heard._

"_Sora...What's wrong?" he heard her ask. As the person got closer to her, Sora was able to see that the guy had a knife. He gasped heavily and tried shouting, even pointing behind her. But as she turned out, it was already too late. _

_She had been stabbed. _

_He shouted, yelled, anything to be heard. She bent down, and grabbed her stomach—the place she had been stabbed—and fluttered her eyes closed. Marie looked at Sora, and looked as if she wanted to say something. But the words were not delivered, and she fell to the floor. The man who had been standing behind her, was a man in a black coat who was wearing a hood over his head. Sora could not see his face, but the man looked at Marie's lifeless body before disappearing. The only thing Sora could hear were the words that seemed to haunt him._

"_Why didn't you die when the chance was given?"_

Sora woke up gasping for air. He started breathing heavily, and noticed that he had been sweating quite profusely. He looked around, and noticed that it was already morning. At least according to his clock.

Before heading out into their next world, which they discovered as the Land of Dragons, Marie had suggested for them to sleep before going. Sora agreed, seeing as how there was going to be a lot of fighting ahead. Even if there wasn't it didn't hurt to take the chance to sleep.

Sora sat up on his bed, and placed his hands on his knees. This was the first time _ever_ having a dream about Marie, and it was definitely not a pleasant one. Of course, this was due to what the man in the black coat said.

"_Why didn't you die when the chance was given?"_

Although the man never pointed out to who he was talking about, Donald, Goofy and Sora concluded that he was not talking about any of them. Their only answer was Marie. Sora shook his head. Even if Marie had not expressed any opinions or concerns about what the man said, Sora knew that it was bugging her. Heck, it was even bugging _him._ The world "death" or "die" did not sit well with Sora, especially when it involved the girl he loved. What did this guy know? Was he someone that knew Marie personally? Of so, Sora was going to find out. He couldn't sit or focus well knowing that someone, or something wanted Marie dead.

He sighed, and got up from his bed. He wanted to see Marie, and wanted to make sure she was alright. He walked out of his room, and didn't bother to change out of his oversized red shirt with his black shorts. As he tip-toed across the hall-way, he was thankful that he had socks on, since it made less noise. Once he reached Marie's door he opened it as quietly as he could, and when it squeaked he would stop for a while, and then open it up some more.

Once the door was open enough for him to slide through—which wasn't a lot, considering the boy was pretty slim—he walked in quietly.

The soft pink and beige colours around her room were expected, even for him. He chuckled lightly at how predictable Marie could be. Speaking of which, he looked around the room, and spotted the blonde sleeping in her bed. He walked over to her bed, and when he got close enough he bent down a bit to her level.

She was sleeping soundly, but not happily. He could tell that she looked stressed, and wondered what was going on in her mind. _She's so strong_, he thought. Anything that bothered her never came out of her. She kept everything in, which disappointed him. He wanted to know how she was feeling at this time, or at that minute, but she never did. She was very quiet about her problems, which concerned him.

How was he suppose to help if she wouldn't tell him anything? He really wanted to change this, and he was going to change it. He sighed softly, and noticed that Marie shifted a bit. A strand of hair was covering her face, and Sora noticed. He smiled warmly at her, and gently removed the strand of hair from her face.

He hadn't noticed before, but her skin was very smooth as well as pale. He never took the time to analyze her appearance, since he was so drawn to her personality. Looks never mattered, and they didn't now. He couldn't help but blush at the realization that Marie was actually cute.

She groaned in her sleep, and Sora took that as a sign to get out. He wasn't going to wait and sit around for her to wake up, since he knew she would beat him and call him a pervert. He got up quietly, and exited the room with ease. He noticed Donald and Goofy were still asleep, and he decided to go back to bed—even if it was for a while.

ଓ**  
>Marie<strong>

_Beep. Beep. _

I groaned. I don't want to get up. Five more minutes. Or better—ten more minutes. The beeping got louder and louder, and I knew I was going to have to get up. I groaned in annoyance, and lazily slipped out of my bed. I was feeling so sluggish today, probably because it had been my first day of going back into fighting. Yesterday was the day after my birthday, and even then I didn't get any sleep. Everyone was so eager to move on, but I wanted to sleep. I _needed_ the sleep.

_Beep. Beep._

I sighed, and turned off the alarm. I can't believe I'm fifteen. It seems like yesterday I started this whole adventure while being thirteen. Boy, those were the old days. Back then, I didn't know anything about my past. I still don't, but I do know that I originally come from Destiny Islands. Then... I used to live in Hollow Bastion.

As I yawned walking to my closet, I noticed a hat on the floor. I raised my eyebrow in confusion, and picked it up. As I took a closer look at it, I noticed it looked like one of Seifer's hats. What the heck? What's _his_ hat doing here? I shook my head, I'm not even gonna bother question it.

As I opened my closet, I noticed an entirely different outfit placed in it. It was pretty baggy, and it looked like a boy's outfit. The first person I thought of was Sora, but he wouldn't dare enter my room.

Once again, I wasn't going to question it. Ignorance is bliss, after all. I changed into my casual outfit, and went to the bathroom to freshen up. As I brushed my teeth I looked in the mirror, I looked so different from when I was in Twilight Town. I always had my hair kept nicely, and I didn't look I just came back from running a mile. I had to wonder...was this how my life would be all the time? Will there _actually_ be a chance for me to live a normal, teenaged life? I didn't mind fighting bad guys, or helping people out. But, I just had to wonder.

As I finished freshening up, I left my room. I heard people talking, and a duck quaking, and I l knew the rest of the guys were already awake. I walked into the room, and I noticed Sora was groaning. I wonder what happened?

"Aw, c'mon. Can't I take another nap for an hour or so?" begged Sora. I guess he was feeling tired too, and I couldn't blame him. I wanted to go back to sleep, too.

"Aww phooey," replied Donald, who smacked Sora's head lightly. "Let's just go already!"

as I walked towards my chair, Goofy looked over to me. He gave me a smile, and I smiled back. "How ya doin', Marie?"

By this time, both Sora and Donald stopped talking to each other, and looked over to me. I smiled at them all. "Well, I'm really glad we got to sleep before going to the next world. I feel refreshed."

Big fat lie. I didn't feel refreshed. I still felt tired, and I wanted to sleep all day and night. But I know we have important stuff to do, so I had to keep it inside. Donald gave the go for Sora to drive us towards the next world, and I sat down patiently while waiting to arrive. I really wonder what this world is like, and I hope we don't come into contact with Organization XIII.

ଓ**  
>Aura<strong>

"Why did you give her those clothes and your hat?" asked Riku. He was finding it weird that she was putting male clothing in her closet, but he hoped that she had a good reason behind it. Aura looked into the town, and watched as Hayner, Pence and Olette walked around. She wondered how they were doing now that their quartet turned back into a trio. She lowered her eyes as the cool breeze touched her hair. She felt weird without her hat.

"I checked out the world they were visiting, and there's a girl in guy clothes trying to join the army there," she replied, scratching her arm. "If my guess is right, Sora'll most likely want to join."

"Oh, I get it." Riku nodded in understanding, since he knew that Marie would have to join as well. "So I'm guessing this girl has to dress up like a guy to join the army."

"You're smarter than you look," she replied, not bothering to turn towards him. She was finding it weird that she was able to talk to Riku about these things; her plans. But she didn't really have anyone to trust, and Riku was no exception. But somehow, he was allowed to know _some_ information that she provided. If he asked too much, she would ignore him for the rest of the day, or leave. He knew this, so he didn't ask more than he needed to, and had to guess the rest.

"Hmph. If I didn't know any better, I would say that was a compliment," he smirked, and Aura scoffed. Oh yeah, he successfully annoyed her. She got up from her sitting spot, and walked towards the stairs leading down to the train station. Riku chuckled, and got up as well. When Aura noticed this, she stopped and turned around.

"Why do you..._stay_ with me?" she asked, not really knowing how to word it. But she was a Nobody, something that DiZ really hated. She was just a waste of space, and she didn't—couldn't understand why a guy with a heart and feelings like Riku was always hanging around with her.

"I guess I like you," he said, plain and simple. He didn't know what he meant by that yet, but there was something pulling him to her. He wondered if this was the same thing for Roxas.

"You _guess_?" she scoffed. There was a long silence between the two teens, and Aura sighed. She didn't know what to think at this point. Axel was now the enemy, and Roxas was far-far away. Marie had no knowledge of her existence, and Naminé was kept under tight security. Well, whatever type of security DiZ was.

So really, the only person she had...was Riku. She dropped her shoulders, and looked at him. She couldn't see his face, since it was hidden behind the black coat that she once wore. But even then, his face now...it only resembled Xemnas.

"...I guess I can see how Marie likes you," stated Aura. She had her hands on her hips, and smirked at Riku. "Come on, help me take one of Seifer's hats."

Riku chuckled, and was quite surprised at how becoming Aura was being. She was showing more emotion, and he felt really proud of himself knowing that he was the one changing that about her.

ଓ**  
>Marie<strong>

Aw man, fighting off space Heartless definitely is worse than fighting them mano-a-mano. The ship kept rocking back and forth, and we got hit several times. Though thankfully, Goofy was excellent with his section. Donald was also great with his firing, and Sora did pretty darn good with his manoeuvring.

As soon as the battle was over, Sora stopped the ship. I made sure everything was still intact, and when I did I told Sora it was okay. He gave me a thumbs up, and began to descend towards the next world. I couldn't stay seated in my chair, since going to new worlds always excited me.

As Sora descended lower and lower, he lightly bumped the ship on the ground. He still needed work on landing, but at least we were on the planet. I took off my seat belt, and quickly got up to run towards the exit. I heard Sora laugh, and when the door opened I was welcomed with fresh and outdoor air! I heard footsteps behind me, and Donald, Goofy and Sora were following close behind.

I walked down the stairs, and my feet met with the hard, uneven floor. It was a mud path, but the mud was dried up. I waited for the other guys to walk down, and when they did the ship closed it's door. We all looked ahead, and started walking.

"What do you think this world is like?" I asked as we walked further and further away from the ship. Sora placed his hand behind his head as he began to think, and both Donald and Goofy placed a finger on their chin.

But as soon as any of them could say anything, Goofy stopped as he saw something. I stopped as well, and when I looked at what he was looking, a girl was standing in front of a ferocious looking monster. She looked terrified.

"A Heartless?" asked Donald as we all huddled up. Sora suggested that we should take the initiative, but I was a little sceptic. Goofy agreed saying we should observe first before heading in, and I also voiced this.

"Goofy's right! We should observe—"

But before my words were heard, Sora and Donald ran towards the young woman. I sighed, and Goofy and I followed close behind. As Sora and Donald ran further towards them, a little red dragon ran into the woman's hands and she covered it. I raised my eyebrow, that dragon looked awfully familiar.

"Isn't that Mushu?" right! Mushu! That's who that little dragon was. He helped us a lot last year, and even though he was tiny, he was very useful. Mushu jumped out from the woman's grasp, and he started getting defensive. He probably thought we were enemies or something.

"Hey, Mushu! We missed you!" shouted Sora, smiling at the little dragon. Mushu started yelling at us, getting defensive again. He looked at us, though, and he started talking slower.

"Unless you're..." he stopped as he got a closer look at us. "...Sora! Donald! Goofy! Marie!"

Sora yet again placed his hands behind the back of his head, and Donald tapped his foot proudly while Goofy scratched the back of his head. I clasped my hands together as I smiled at Mushu. The woman asked him if he knew us, and Mushu went on saying that we all used to kick bad guy butts. Sora laughed, and looked at the woman.

"And.. you are?" he asked.

The woman got up slowly, and she began to talk. "I'm Mulan."

"Um, no, I-I mean..." her voice suddenly got deeper, and I raised my eyes to it. Mushu interrupted, and he called her "Ping".

"Mulan Ping?" asked Donald, sounding a but sceptic.

"Just Ping. I am son of Fa Zhou." son? But this was a woman, I know it. I lowered my head, and started thinking about why she would refer to herself as a "son". Sora asked the woman—er, man—how he knew Mushu, and he told us that Mushu was one of his family guardians. Goofy apologized about borrowing someone as important as Mushu, and immediately, the little dragon popped his head to us.

"Yeah, that's right!" he said, walking back to Ping. "And that puts you four up to your eyeballs in debt to Ping here."

"Oh, sure. We don't mind helping," I said, hoping the others wouldn't mind. As I looked at them though, they didn't seem to mind, which was good. Mushu told us that Ping was about to join the imperial army, and they were about to go find the other recruits at the training camp.

"Would you join us?" asked Ping. "It'll be easier if I fit in with guys, like you three."

Sora asked Ping what he meant by fit in, and Mushu told us it wasn't important. But it was plain to see that this Ping, or rather, Mulan, was dressing up as a guy. And the only person to word it was Goofy. "You're pretendin' to be a boy, aren't you?"

there was a slight silence, and then suddenly both Sora and Donald gasped with the realization. Sora pointed at Mulan, and spoke. "You're a...girl?"

As I looked at Mulan, she clasped her hands together, and had the cutest expression on her face. She gave a closed smile, and twirled abit. I couldn't help but scrunch my hands together at how cute it even was. She asked us if we could notice, and both Donald and Sora couldn't.

"I think it's working," Mulan told Mushu. He crossed his arms, and looked at Sora and Donald, saying that anything would fool those two. That was true, but I wasn't the one who said it. I laughed along with the comment, though, but then I gasped.

"Wait...if you're dressing up as a boy, than you can't enter the army as a girl, right?" I asked, placing a finger in my chin. Mulan lowered her head, which only answered my question as positive. I thought for a moment, and then I sighed. "Well, how am I going to get in?"

"I'm sorry, I only have one outfit," replied Mulan. She lowered her head, and I waved my hands telling her it wasn't her fault. Goofy and Donald also thought about it, and Sora scratched the back of his head.

"Well, why'd you have to be a girl?"

"**Mushu!**" Mulan and I scolded in unison. He held his hands in the air, admitting defeat. I grunted, and started getting annoyed.

But then it hit me! The outfit in my room! There was a guy's outfit placed in my closet. That would help me! I squealed out of pure joy, and the boys all looked at me. I raised my hand in the air, and I smiled at them all. "Don't worry about me! You guys go on ahead, and I'll meet up with you."

Without taking a chance to hear any of them speak, I quickly ran to Sora and took the keys from his pocket. Don't ask me how I knew where they were, but as I took them I started running towards the ship.

"Marie!" I heard Sora call out my name, and I didn't turn back. As I ran towards the ship, the only thing that I could think about was: what name should I use as a boy?

ଓ**  
>Sora<strong>

Sora sighed and dropped his shoulders in defeat. Donald and Goofy were really confused, as well as Mushu. The only person who had an inkling about what she was going to do was Mulan. Heck, girls knew what other girls were thinking most of the time. Well, that, and because it was pretty obvious.

"Well, we should go," suggested Mulan, or Ping, as she referred to herself. Sora asked about Marie, and Ping stopped to look at him. "She'll come meet us, but I don't think she'll be "Marie" anymore."

Sora was beyond confused now.

* * *

><p>Yay, another chapter! Marie is about to turn into a boy—appearance wise, of course. I'll post up the picture in the next chapter, so be sure to look at it before reading the chapter!<p> 


	11. Who says a girl can't?

Alright, so this is 3 out of the 4 chapters that will be posted consecutively. Hopefully I can do this without tiring myself out, since it's been a while—although short—since I've had to write. By the way, I'm sick. Annnd, I've noticed that when I'm sick I do a lot of mistakes In terms of spelling and grammar. I struggle so baaad. DX ugggh.

**Marie's "male" outfit:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/Marie-s-Land-of-Dragons-outfit-204569547

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eleven<strong>  
>ଓ<strong><br>Who says a girl can't...?**

I don't know why guys have to wear such bulky outfits, or maybe it was just the one I was wearing, but it was really heavy. I checked the mirror before I left, and made sure the beanie I was wearing covered all of my hair. I never really have a use for make-up, so I was glad I wasn't wearing any right now. I was wearing a band around my chest, so you know... they wouldn't tell if I was a girl.

But the shirt and vest fit perfect. It wasn't too tight, and it wasn't so loose. The pants were baggy, but it was baggy in the fact that they were comfortable to manoeuvre around in. The shoes were plain running shoes, and I was wearing fingerless gloves.

I sighed, looking at the mirror once more. I really hope these guys at the camp fall for my look, but as I looked in the mirror I noticed I was really girly looking. Well, if anything, I could pass as one of those baby-faced boys. I'll just say I haven't reached puberty or something.

I found it really dumb that only guys could fight in a war. Why couldn't a girl do it? I mean, I'm sure there are women who can fight just as well as men. Hmm.

I guess I was just going to have to prove it to them. I dunno how, but I'll show them that a girl can kick mad butt!...But I just have to get passed recruitment in this get-up before I can do that, I guess.

"H-hey, my name's Mario!" I tried practising my voice, since I needed it to be lower. I thought of Sora's voice, and tried impersonating him. It didn't sound as good as I had hoped, but I think it's enough to convince them. Well, if they're anything like Sora or Donald.

Oh, I forgot to take off my earrings.

ଓ**  
>Sora<strong>

As Sora, Goofy, Donald and Mulan—ping passed through the camp, Mushu reminded her to be manly. Ping nodded, and started walking very _oddly_. Most likely to prove her point of trying to be a man.

Sora walked towards the line-up, but before he could wait a short and stubby man butted him, pushing him aside. "'Bout time we got some grub."

"Hey, no cutting!" shouted Sora, getting irritated at the short and stubby man who cut him in line. Donald also expressed his annoyance, and the man had turned to them. Before anyone could do anything, the man punched Sora to the ground. Donald grew furious, and jumped the man to the ground as well. A fight ensued between the two, and both Goofy and Ping only watched with concern.

"Hey, a space in line!" a tall and lanky man said. He looked ahead, and both he and the short guy were bounced away as a tall and chunky man stepped in.

"I wonder what they're serving for lunch today." The chubby man rubbed his stomach as he thought about the food. The short and stubby man punched the tall and lanky guy, while Donald jumped into the fight. Sora grew really angry, and couldn't help but jump and join in the fight. Goofy tried reasoning with them, but his words were not heard.

Ping stared at the fight, and her concern got stronger. She balled her fists close to her chest, and closed her eyes for a moment. "Please!"

"Please?" said the tall and lanky man. The short and stubby guy called her a girl, and Ping lightly gasped to this.

"Uh..K-knock it off!" she retorted, trying to sound manly. The short and stubby guy mocked her, and attempted to punch Sora again. He blocked the attack, and kicked the the short guy in return. Donald was about to jump back into the fight, but then suddenly.

"Do you guys think you're cool just 'cause you can hit?" a low, but weird sounding voice was heard. As the guys turned towards the voice—where Ping was standing—they saw a scrawny looking boy. He was wearing a blue beanie, and had blonde hair. His face was disturbingly baby-faced, with pale skin and sea green eyes. He was wearing a loosely fit black shirt with a red vest covering it, and had black fingerless gloves. He had a bunch of belts on his waist, and wore baggy blue pants with red running shoes.

This guy had his arms crossed, and didn't look very pleased. The short and stubby guy cracked his knuckles, and looked at the guy as he smirked. "What? You think you're better than us 'cause you _think _you can?"

Before the blonde guy could say anything, the short and stubby man came running towards him. He tried giving him a punch, but the blonde stopped it. The man kept punching him, but the blonde blocked every single attack. When the stubby man looked tired, the blonde took this as a sign to give a back hand punch to the man.

Needless to say, the man fell down. He quickly got up, and walked back to the lanky and chunky man. "Hmph. I-I don't wanna hit a kid as skinny as you."

The guy titled his head, and crossed his arms. "So then why'd you hit him?"

The boy pointed at Sora, and he looked at the stubby man. "Yeah, you punched me!"

"And you cut us in line!" added Donald. The tall and lanky guy laughed and called them shrimps. Mushu came popping out and tried saying something, but Ping managed to put him back inside.

"L-let's just get back in line, okay?" Ping warned, but Sora was not having it.

"Whose side are you on? I just got slugged!" shouted Sora, looking at Ping. He noticed the guy behind Ping had crossed his arms and looked irritated, but he was focused on the stubby man in front of him.

"**Soldiers!** Get back in line!" a tall and handsome looking man came walking out into the front. One of the men in the line called him captain, and everyone got into that line. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Ping and the new boy all stood behind one another. The captain walked down as he glared at each and every one of them, and then walked back to the front. Sora glared at the stubby man, and raised his fists. As he turned his head however, a bunch of Heartless appeared before them. Sora immediately got into his fighting stance, and looked around as Donald, Goofy and Ping did as well. He noticed the boy with the blue beanie looked stressed, and he wondered if he was scared of fighting the Heartless.

The other three guys looked at the Heartless, too. They scoffed, and decided to attack the ones on the far left, while Sora and his friends dealt with the ones on the far right. He looked at Ping, and noticed she was overwhelmed. "Ping, I hope you're ready!"

He looked over to the boy, and he looked at him. "I don't know who you are, but I hope you're ready to fight, too!"

The boy looked at Sora as if he said something stupid. Sora turned away, not wanting to get into a fight with him or anything.

ଓ**  
>Marie<strong>

Sora really can't tell that it's me? Huh.

Anyways, I had bigger things to worry about. My Keyblade wasn't exactly manly looking, so I was finding this very difficult. I sighed heavily, and reached into my pockets. When I felt something in my left pocket, I took it out.

My eyes widened when I saw what was in my palm.

A Keyblade.

The base and stick were black, but the blade and handle were grey. It had a ribbon hanging loosely on the stick of the blade, but it didn't look as girly as my Keyblade. Well, what have I got to lose? In an instant, I summoned the Keyblade, and immediately started attacking the Heartless around me. I looked around, and noticed that Mulan—er, Ping was having a hard time holding on to her blade. I mean he—oh, whatever!

The monsters she was fighting were ganging up on her, and I decided to intervene. I ran faster than I usually do, and swung my Keyblade around the Heartless as they disappeared. I noticed this Keyblade was really different than mine. It's like it has a mind of it's own. I then got to thinking—did someone purposely put that outfit in my room so that I could wear it for this occasion? If so, this person knows about the Keyblades, and even had one for me to use.

I shook my head, and turned to Ping. She puffed her chest, and thanked me in that deep voice. I giggled, and she gasped. I winked at her, and smiled. "No worries, Ping! It's just me; Marie."

She nodded and smiled back at me, and I got around to fighting off the other Heartless. I was closer to Goofy, and when he noticed that I had a Keyblade he smiled at me. "Ya really look like a guy, uhh..."

"Mario." I waved at him, and attacked the surrounding Heartless. He shielded us from some of their attacks, and I got around to attacking them all. It was amazing how much energy I got from this Keyblade, and I guess the original user must be really strong.

_That's the power of Chaos. Don't go ruinin' it._

I gasped lightly, who was that? A voice different from Stella or that man I briefly heard from the beginning of this adventure was being heard. She sounded young, though not too young. I shook my head, I have to focus! I looked over to the other Heartless, and in one fell swoop, I got rid of them all.

I looked around for more Heartless, but when I didn't find any I made my way back to Ping. The both of us walked to Sora, Donald and Goofy, and the captain came walking towards us.

"You four. What are you names?" he looked at Sora, Donald, Goofy and I. The three of them gave their names, and when the captain looked at me, I gave my name.

"It's Mario, sir," I said, clearing my throat. This talking in a low and manly voice was really hard. Man, I just hope we're done with this world. I never expected to see Mushu, much less dress up like a _guy._

"I am the son of Fa Zhou—" Ping was interrupted by the captain, who simply told her to go home. Oh no! This is not happening! We're doing this for Mulan, and by George she is staying!

"B-but! That would dishonour my family!" she pleaded. The captain came back with a remark, and asked her if she would rather dishonour his troops. I growled lightly, okay, enough is enough.

"Ping has potential, sir," I said, trying to hold my low voice. "If he trains harder, he'll be exceptional even by your standards."

The captain thought about it, and when Sora waved his arm across. "Uh, just give us an assignment! We'll show you how well we can work together."

The captain thought about it again, and closed his eyes as he began to think of something. When he opened his eyes, he told us that the orders were to ambush some guy named Shan-Yu's army on their way here. He told us that they should be coming through the mountain pass. Donald encouraged us by saying that we'd smash them, but the captain said we'd only be doing recon, making sure that his troops were safe when they attacked. The captain told us to prepare, and to talk to him when we're ready.

He left shortly after, and Sora looked at me. I raised my eyebrow at him, and crossed my arms. "You really suck when it comes to telling if a girl is dressed as a guy or not."

As expected, both Sora and Donald gasped. Sora pointed at me, and he was almost at a loss for words. "...Marie?"

"Shh..." I said, motioning them to be quiet. I told them to call me Mario, and when Sora asked where I got the outfit from, I dropped my shoulders. "I dunno. Someone left it in my closet. They even gave me a Keyblade to borrow!"

As I took out my Keyblade, Sora and Donald gasped. Goofy wasn't as surprised, since he had already saw it before. But the fact remained that someone out there is able to wield a Keyblade, much like Sora and I. The only person that remained, was either—

"What if it was Riku!" asked Sora, suddenly getting his hopes up. I was about to suggest that, but since Sora already said it well, it could have very well been Riku. But how did he gain access to the Gummi Ship? In fact, how could anyone besides myself, Sora, Donald and Goofy gain access to the ship when it's in space?

"I don't think so," I said, taking back my theory that it had been Riku. "There's no way to go to the ship unless he had been with us."

"Then _who_ could it be?" Sora asked, a bit of sadness in his tone. I know he really wants to see Riku, but I had to be realistic about this... even if it might bring someone's hopes down. I grunted as I looked away, I felt really bad about it.

"Well, let's just focus on our assignments," suggested Ping. I agreed, and scratched the back of my head. This hat was really making my head itch since my hair was bundled up in it. Sora walked towards the captain, and we all followed. The captain asked us if we were ready, and Sora nodded.

He gave us our first assignment, and that was to get rid of some of the Heartless that he considered Shan-Yu's "army". We all nodded, and headed towards the checkpoint. Man, we were in for a long ride.

ଓ**  
>Aura<strong>

Aura adjusted the new hat on her head. It was very stiff, and she had to break it in to get that feel she had with her old beanie. Riku stared at her while she did this, and he sighed. He felt bad about her taking a hat from Seifer, but that boy had _so_ many hats in his closet that Riku doubted if he would ever notice. He also couldn't understand why she wore a hat. Her hair was perfect the way it was, and he very much enjoyed it when she was wearing her black coat.

"Why did you let her borrow your Keyblade?" That was one thing Riku didn't understand about the teen. By giving up one of her Keyblades, she was giving up a little of her power.

"I only need one to kick butt," she said, finally adjusting the hat to how she wanted it to be. "Plus those stupid men will wonder why she has a pink weapon. That's why I gave up that Keyblade."

She had also explained that the Keyblade had the insignia of Organization XIII. It was something she did not want to be reminded of, since it brought up a lot of memories. She stared into the town, sitting where she had always been sitting with her friends from the past. Twilight Town was still her home, and it will remain her home _even_ after becoming one with Marie. She lowered her eyes, and sighed. "I..."

Riku hummed in response, and looked at Aura. She was showing something that he thought was lost, and that was a slight hint of sadness. He was shocked to see that she was showing an emotion, however small it may be. He smiled through his hood, and continued to stare at the nobody as she prepared for what she wanted to say.

"I don't wanna..."

Riku looked at the girl seriously now, there was something clearly wrong with her. He straightened himself, and scooted a little closer to the saddened Nobody. "Don't wanna what...?"

Aura looked away, and didn't speak after. There had been a long silence between them, and Riku patiently and silently waited until Aura spoke up. She shifted her eyes from left to right, and wondered why she was getting emotional all of a sudden. This was unheard of from her, since she was pretty sure she was going to lock up everything related to emotions. She closed her eyes, and sighed heavily.

"I don't understand you," she said. Her voice reverted from sadness to strictness. She looked at Riku, and her facial expression had become that of seriousness. Riku raised his eyes in confusion, and wondered what was up with her _now_. He didn't reply however, and waited for her to continue. Which she did. "I don't understand you, or those who have hearts."

She got up, and straightened herself. "You keep making me try to show that I have emotions. Well, it's not gonna happen. I have no emotions. I'm just...an empty doll."

Before Riku could reply, Aura had already disappeared. He got up quickly, and just stood there. He lowered his head at the exit, why was she so difficult? Why couldn't she just accept that she was special? That she actually _could_ bear emotions? What was so wrong about that? Riku sighed, and shook his head. He wasn't giving up so easily, and as stubborn as Aura was, he was going to change that.

He didn't want to admit it, but he really wanted to see her smile. Since Roxas had his journal with him when he was brought to the mansion at Twilight Town, there was a lot written about Aura.

Riku wanted to see everything that she did with Roxas.

ଓ**  
>Marie <strong>

"I can't believe it," I heard Sora say, as he looked at me. You know, I thought looking like a guy would make Sora _not_ look at me. It's like he can't keep his eyes away, and it's _reaally_ creepy. I walked with Mulan—Ping, and I looked down at the floor. We were on the path headed to the checkpoint, and I just wanted to get this over with.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, peering her eyes over to me. I didn't look at her, and I just kept shifting my eyes left to right while I kept staring at the floor. While thinking back on Sora, I realized that I was lonely. Not in the sense that I didn't have any friends, but the fact that I was the only girl in our gang. Sora had Donald and Goofy, while I really couldn't relate to them. But I didn't want to push my problems on Mulan. She had her own dilemma after all.

"Eh, I think it's the outfit," I lied, but it was for the best. "Being a guy must be hard."

Mulan laughed, and we reached the checkpoint. Sure enough, Heartless were around the area. We all took out our weapons, and prepared for the fight. Sora immediately ran towards the giant crowd, while Mulan and I stood near the small crowd. She was still new at fighting, so it was best to pit her against the smaller numbered ones. So you know, she wouldn't be overwhelmed.

While I was dealing with a fairly small group of Heartless, I saw that she was handling the Heartless well—albeit slowly. I managed to fight off all of the Heartless in my area, but the Keyblade I was using...the more I fought, the more it felt weird. It felt like the blade was yearning for more fights.

Then it got me to thinking, was the person who held this Keyblade a fan of fighting? Did he or she like the battlefield, as well as the pain they delivered? Well, whatever they liked wasn't my business. What was my business was why this person gave me the Keyblade.

As I finished off the last remaining Heartless in the area, I looked over to Sora, who finished helping Mulan kill the last of her set of Heartless. She waved at me, and I nodded, returning back with them to the camp.

* * *

><p>Finished Chapter 11! Man, some things are changing up here. It seems pretty boy Riku might have a crush on bad girl Aura. What will she do when she finds herself smack dab in a love triangle?<p>

And Marie, Marie... when will you learn? She who acts last, never wins. Memory loss included.

And what's up with me talking like I'm in Gossip Girl? Well, that my friends, remains unanswered.

Until next time.

Xoxo, SWIRL3Y.

What...the...heck?


	12. Confusion

Alright, so this is 4 out of the 4 chapters that will be posted consecutively. Hopefully I can do this without tiring myself out, since it's been a while—although short—since I've had to write. I'm no longer sick, by the way. XD

**Marie's "male" outfit:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/Marie-s-Land-of-Dragons-outfit-204569547

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twelve<strong>  
>ଓ<strong><br>Confusion**

After finishing off two assignments from the captain, he sent Sora and Mulan on the third one. He wanted to see how Mulan, or Ping did with less people around her. I didn't mind that she went with Sora, because it meant that he was far away from me.

...I know that sounded really mean, but with the constant staring from him I was feeling uncomfortable. A break was needed, and I was feeling fatigued as well. I overexerted myself a little while fighting with this Keyblade, and it's like I don't notice my own stamina or whatever. I shifted a bit, and I heard something jingle. I looked down at the chest, and I dug my hand underneath my turtleneck. I took out a golden necklace with a crown on it, and I looked at it.

I never knew where this necklace came from, but for some reason wearing it made me feel safe and secure. I was always calm holding onto this necklace...

And yet...for some reason, I feel really sad. I feel like I'm forgetting something about this necklace, something important. You know, I've been feeling like that about this necklace for a while now, even back when I was at Twilight Town. I told myself I would never truly feel happy until I find out what I'm missing about this necklace...and it still stands. There's an empty spot in my heart, and I feel like it's changing me.

I shook my head, and sighed as I leaned back against the rock. I stared into the sky, until a trio of annoying soldiers blocked my view. "What do you want?" I said, voice cracking just a bit.

"Your face is too baby-faced," the short and stubby man said. I didn't really think they would start to catch on, or maybe they didn't. Maybe they were insulting me? If so, it really wasn't effective, in fact, that would be a compliment.

"Come back when you got better insults," I said plainly. I tried sounding like a disinterested teen-boy, but I don't think I was doing a good job. The very big guy started rubbing his belly, and wondered off muttering something about food. The tall and lanky guy ran off to follow him, and the short and stubby guy continued to look at me. Ugh, this is getting old.

"What the hell is that necklace for?" he said, finally staring at something else, though not really comforting. I jumped a bit at the question, and I was sweating trying to think of something. My mouth, however, thought of something else.

"S-someone gave it to me," I said, voice cracking. I wanted to slap my face and hide in the dirt, since this was getting real uncomfortable. He continued to stare, until he started smirking. I'm not liking this so far.

"Ooooh, so it's from a sweetheart?" he said. I almost choked on my own spit, and didn't know how to handle this. Do I say no? Or do I say yes? I closed my eyes for a brief moment, and thought about it. Okay, done.

"Uh, yeah," I replied. I figured I would _possibly_ fit in more if I said yes, and hopefully he would get off my back. All I got was a punch on the arm, and a very witty remark from the guy. He walked away, and I was left to sit against my rock looking at my necklace. I sighed heavily, and took it off.

I can't let anyone know about this necklace, or someone might think it's actually mine instead of my "sweetheart". I quickly shoved it on my pocket, and continued to hang out against my rock while watching Donald and Goofy grab some food.

ଓ**  
>Sora<strong>

Getting rid of the last Heartless around, Sora wiped the sweat off of his forehead. Ping placed her sword away, and she walked over to Sora. She was very scared about fighting, but she was learning. She was quite grateful.

"I think that's the last of 'em," reported Sora, who looked around the area. He sighed quite happily, and wanted to get back to Donald, Goofy and Marie. When he thought of the blonde teen however, he frowned.

"You sure don't look happy about it," replied Ping, noticing the look on Sora's face. He quickly looked away, and Ping tilted her head in confusion. "Something wrong?"

Sora quickly composed himself, and smiled brightly at the woman. He didn't want to frown or anything, and as much as it was about Marie, he had to make sure everyone else was alright. He rubbed his nose, and then placed his hands behind his head. "Nah, I'm just ready to go back to the camp."

Ping smiled at Sora, and the both of them walked back to the camp. They walked with the rambling of Mushu, and for a moment, Sora forgot about his problems hearing Mushu. But then the memories of back then started coming up, and Sora sighed quietly.

Marie sure was very angry about the Neverland situation.

ଓ**  
>Marie <strong>

I was fixing my shoe when I began to hear footsteps. I looked up, and saw Ping, Sora and Mushu return. I quickly got up, and started walking towards them. I was relieved that nothing bad happened to them, since they're my comrades. It wouldn't be any good if they were injured, since Sora's our leader, and Ping is suppose to be training to become better.

"Oh good, you guys are back," I said, trying not to look girly. I looked over to Ping, and smiled at her. When I looked over to Sora, I noticed that he looked occupied with himself. I didn't want to bother him with whatever he had to think about, so I just continued to smile at Ping as we walked towards the captain.

"You did well," he said as he looked at all of us. He still wasn't sure of Ping's skills, but Sora reverted back to his old self and encouraged the captain to think otherwise. Donald, Goofy and I backed him up, and even Ping said she'd take on another mission to prove it. The captain was convinced, and told us to secure the path leading to the summit. He and his men would come after, so we'd have to be alert.

We left the area, and started heading out towards the summit. Ping and I got into our own little girl conversation, while Sora, Donald and Goofy talked about something else. You know, it felt really nice talking to another girl. Talking to Ping wasn't like talking to Olette, though. She's my best friend, and will always be.

"Say, the captain's pretty cute," I said, talking casually, since it was just us. I looked over to Ping, and I noticed that she was blushing. If I didn't know any better, I would say that Ping probably agreed with me. She just didn't word it out loud like I did.

"I-I don't think we should be talking about him like that," she stuttered. Oh Ping, you know it's true. But I wasn't going to bring it out of her if she didn't want to say it. I just nudged her, and she blushed even more.

As we walked further and further towards the summit, it suddenly got a lot colder. I looked up, and noticed a tall, snowy mountain. I started rubbing my arms, so that I would keep myself warm. We stopped when we noticed some of the soldiers walking by, specifically those three weird ones.

They complimented Ping about doing a good job, and we were all happy. She was happy herself, but she was eagerly waiting for when the captain would say "good job".

Speaking of captains, he arrived not too long, and stopped in front of us. Sora and Donald told him how good of a job Ping was doing, and he actually let Ping join the army. However, he _still_ wasn't convinced, and I puffed my cheeks. What would it take _for_ him to be convinced?

In any case, the captain walked ahead, while we walked along with the three other soldiers. We eventually made it to the second camp—which was a village—that was filled with snow. I wasn't expecting it, since it was pretty hot down by the recruitment camp.

Mushu stuck his head out from Ping's armour, and started talking about how he saw a real shady guy that looked like Shan-Yu. She gasped, and immediately raised her guard. I still wasn't sure exactly who this Shan-Yu guy was, but he was the enemy, and I think that was all I needed to know. Ping suggested we go and tell the captain, and I agreed. When we were about to leave, Mushu told us to wait and hear him out.

"Let's go find out where Shan-Yu is, by ourselves," he said, talking about how doing this will prove Ping's abilities and restore honour to her family. I was very iffy about this, since it didn't really seem like a good idea. After a while though, Ping decided that we should go and check it out. I had to say something, though.

"Well, if you guys are going, shouldn't one of us at least stay here?" I asked. Ping placed a finger on her chin, and thought about it. It made sense. While they were out trying to find this Shan-Yu, someone would be here to tell them what has been going on when they come back.

After a while, Ping looked at me, and nodded. Sora's eyes widened a bit, and my guess was he didn't want to leave anyone behind, but it was fine with me. I actually wanted to stay here, so I told her. "Okay then, I'll stay here while you guys find Shan-Yu."

Ping nodded, and asked Mushu where he saw Shan-Yu. He told the gang that he was in a cave just outside the village, and Ping, Sora, Donald and Goofy nodded. Before leaving though, Sora walked up to me.

"Hey, if there's any problems here come straight to me, okay?" he said. He looked a little worried, which was weird for him. But thinking back on our last adventure, I do remember that I had those fainting episodes. I didn't want to worry anyone, even if that person was acting weird.

"Don't worry, Sora. I'll be fine with everyone else," I smiled at him, and raised my hand. He raised his eyebrow, and when he understood that I wanted a high five, he returned it quite eagerly. He hurried to the cave along with the others, and I was left in the village to observe any abnormalities.

ଓ**  
>Sora<strong>

Sora, Ping, Donald and Goofy all walked towards the cave just outside of the village. Once inside, they observed the area. There was nothing wrong with it so far, and as they stalked further inside it looked the same. Once they reached the centre of the cave, they all went to spread out evenly to look around. Sora noted that nothing was in the cave, and Mushu was sure there was someone in the cave.

"Oh, well..." said Donald, walking back to the entrance. Goofy quickly followed the duck, leaving behind both Sora and Ping. As soon as Sora was about to leave, a sudden barrier appeared between Sora, Donald and Goofy. Ping and Sora were on the other side, while Donald and Goofy were closer to the entrance.

What they hadn't seen, however, was the fact that Shan-Yu wasn't standing too far from the entrance. He smirked at the four, and headed out into the village.

Heartless suddenly appeared before Ping and Sora, and they both growled knowing the cave was a trap. Instantly, Sora took out his Keyblade and started hacking at the Heartless around him. Ping also fought off the Heartless, but she was still scared, and not very experienced.

The battle wasn't very hard, since there was just a bunch of shadows. The problem was that more and more would appear, and Sora didn't have time to deal with them all.

His main concern was Marie, and whether she was alright or not.

ଓ**  
>Marie <strong>

You know, the snow was actually a refreshing thing to see. I love Christmas so much, since it's all white with colourful lights. I'm surprised though, since it's been a long time—eleven years to be exact, since I've had a Christmas...

It makes me wonder how my family is doing.

ଓ**  
>Ryan <strong>

Ryan, along with his two best buddies Tidus and Wakka, searched and asked around about a certain teen girl. Tidus and Wakka knew the girl personally, but after she went missing, they tried hard to keep her remembered. They still remembered her, but some things about her were a blur. She _had_ been missing for eleven years, now.

"Man, how could you guys not remember everything about her?" Ryan asked, scratching the back of his head as he stretched on a wooden bench. Some of the people they asked either forgot about her, or couldn't really remember what happened that day. The only person who had remembered was an old lady who passed away, and Ryan couldn't exactly talk to the dead.

"Well, she was always hanging around Riku, and they were always together," commented Tidus, who suddenly had a smirk plastered on his face. "Hmm, maybe they're boyfriend and girlfriend!"

In one hit, Tidus was knocked back by Ryan's smack. Tidus groaned in pain, and rubbed the back of his head while muttering some unpleasant words. This search that Ryan had been doing started from when Sora and Riku went missing. The search would have started earlier, but from the day he was born he was kept in the hospital until at the age of four. He was very weak when he was born, and although his parents went against it, having him stay in the hospital gave his parents preparation when the doctors told them that he would be diagnosed as anaemic later on.

"We could try and ask the old lady's daughter, ya?" suggested Wakka. Ryan's eyes widened, and patted Wakka's back right before dragging him, along with Tidus, towards the old lady's house.

"Man, why do you get a pat?" complained Tidus, still rubbing his head.

It wasn't long before Ryan, Tidus and Wakka reached the old lady's house. Ryan knocked on the door eagerly, and after a few minutes of waiting the door opened. Out in front of the door appeared a young women with blonde hair and blue eyes, Ryan noticed how beautiful she was, but he couldn't flirt right now. "Oh, my. Hello there, how may I help you, boys?"

Ryan dug into his pockets and searched for a certain picture of Riku and the girl he was hoping to find, and when he did he showed it to the woman. She took the picture, and frowned. Ryan, Tidus and Wakka noticed this, and stood there as the woman composed herself. "This little girl...She..."

"I really wanna know what happened to her," Ryan said with desperation in his voice. "My parents know something about her, but they won't tell me."

The woman frowned again, and motioned the boys to head into her house. They did, and walked all the way into her living room. The three boys sat on the long couch, and waited for the woman to sit across them. She stared at the picture for a very long time, and sighed as she looked at the boys. "My mother used this little girl as an example. She would tell me that her case would happen if I walked away with a stranger."

"What happened to her?" Tidus asked, getting curious himself. "Wakka and I didn't really know her that much, but she was close to Riku. If he hadn't disappeared, he would've told us about her. I mean, we can't even remember her name..."

"Her name is Marie," said the woman, smiling softly at the boys. "My mother used to babysit for Riku when he was younger, and she often saw these two play together."

The boys kept quiet when the woman sighed again, not wanting to disrupt her with questions. The woman placed the picture down on her coffee table, and placed her hands on her lap. "My mother said Marie was kidnapped by an older man, and she was there to witness it. At first she thought this man knew her, but when her parents panicked about her disappearance my mother felt like it was her fault."

"Because she couldn't stop it, ya?" asked Wakka. The woman nodded, and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, they looked sad. "I work in the same company as her mother, and she tells me constantly how she misses her. As I talked to her more however, I found out that this woman was not actually her mother, but her aunt."

Ryan raised his eyebrow in confusion, why would an aunt pose as a mother? He asked the woman this, and she told him that she was doing her sister-in-law a favour. She said, "Marie's real mother disappeared about a month after giving birth along with her father, who was very sick. She asked her brother to take care of Marie for a bit, but when she disappeared she left behind a letter asking her brother to permanently take care of the girl."

"Did he do it, and what's his name?" Ryan was feeling something odd about this, but he decided to push further into asking.

"Yes, he did." the woman smiled timidly, and she pushed back a strand of hair as she looked at the photo. "His name is Eli Hill, and his wife is named Leah Devin."

"W-what? But that's..." Ryan started to stutter, and he looked away as he started feeling something swell inside of him. Was it anger? Betrayal for being kept out of the secret? Or did his parents not trust him enough?

"My name is Ryan...Ryan Hill. My dad and mom are named Eli and Leah Hill."

* * *

><p><strong>INSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANITY!<strong>

**Shadow 1n2:** Yes, _almost_. Well, you can tell me those predictions, since this chapter has pretty much revealed his position. And that's great! My favourite holiday is Christmas. Haha, Sanctuary is an awesome song. 

**SisterOfScarletDevil:** LOL YES I AM BACK! I hope I can keep up with the writing, though. XD

**AlexMontgomery:** LOL. Well, I really like to use common names. I would feel as if I were butchering the Japanese language by having a name like Fuuka or Hamuko or something. And ooh, is it Leo?

**InuyaKoneko:** I don't know about what's going to be in KH3, but I heard they haven't even started production yet. But in any case, I would hope that she does? Oh, and Marie will be wearing a pirate outfit the first time she visits Port Royal. XD **Lvl-ZeR0:** Ahaha. Well, I made it to four chapters instead, but I'll try to be consistent from now on. And yes, I really do love spaghetti as much as you love donuts. XD

**Dracula X:** Sorry, it's only four. But I hope to be consistent from now on!

**Dracula-key:** Yeah, except this OC is more of a tribute? I guess, to a friend who has been diagnosed as Iron-deficiency anaemia. He's been my friend since we were little, so I had to honour him somehow. LOL, I know. Even though they're far away, they're still her parents.


	13. Familiar feelings

Glad I got those four chapters up. Hopefully, I can update consistently now.

**Marie's "male" outfit:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/Marie-s-Land-of-Dragons-outfit-204569547

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen<strong>  
>ଓ<strong><br>Familiar feelings**

It had been about half an hour since Sora, Ping, Donald and Goofy left to go find Shan-Yu. Things were pretty calm around here, but my head wasn't anywhere close to being calm. I had a lot of things going on in there, and I didn't know where to start. There was the fact that someone lent me a Keyblade, what that Organization XIII member said, my powers, my necklace, and of course Sora.

But really, I didn't want to think about Sora right now, and I decided to push that problem aside. I guess my biggest problem I wanted to solve right now was how I'm involved in Organization XIII's plan.

Yen sid mentioned that I was a part of their unknown plan, and it unnerved me to no end. Of course, I know this is going to take some time so I have to focus on something else. The only other things I could work on was my power, and the person who lent me this Keyblade. The necklace was there too and it was bugging me more than anything, but I had to push that aside since it wasn't the _most_ important thing to solve.

As I sighed, I heard someone shout. I stiffened my position, and I got up. I noticed the three men from before were trying to fight off someone, and when I looked a little closer the man they were trying to ward off was huge! I took out my Keyblade, trying not to shout and run for it. The captain also joined in the fight, and he even shouted at the other soldiers.

"Shan-Yu is attacking! Don't let him out of your sight!" I widened my eyes, and I observed the man named Shan-Yu. I thought this guy was at the cave Sora and the others went into.

Wait, don't tell me...

No, of course not. I know Sora, Donald and Goofy are strong enough to fend this guy off. But then why weren't they here? I quickly looked around to see if I could see 'em, but when I didn't I felt a sense of panic wash over me. This guy is seriously going to get it if he even laid a finger on my friends!

When he pushed the three soldiers, along with the **captain **away, I growled. I don't care how strong this guy is, he's not getting away with hurting others! I swung my Keyblade around, and started running towards him. He noticed me, but I didn't care.

I swung my Keyblade at him, and he easily blocked it. I retrieved my blade back, and hacked at him again. I peered over my shoulder as the captain was in serious pain. The three other guys were also groaning in pain, and I felt horrible about it. Without even thinking, I swung my Keyblade around to the guy, and I surprisingly got a hit. I wasn't rejoicing much though, since the guy quickly grabbed my wrist.

He brought my wrist close to him, and I was trying hard not to squeal or anything to get out of his grip. I suddenly gasped when he ringed his other hand around my neck. Dear god, I don't want to die! I knew dressing up as a guy was going to get me in trouble, but come on!

I could barely breath at this moment, and my eyes were slowly closing. My hands were struggling to get his strong one off my neck, but I was too weak. I tried coughing, gasping, anything to make him stop. When he moved his hand, I squealed a bit. He raised his eyebrow, and a strong wind passed by. I tried moving my head, but his grip on my neck tightened, and I could almost feel my lips turning blue.

As the wind got stronger, I noticed a loose strand of my hair falling out of my hat. Oh no, please not this! I tried to move my head again, seeing if I could make the hat not fly away. However, it proved fruitless when he noticed. He grunted, and took his other hand off my wrist, now putting all the weight on my neck. I felt a hot tear roll down my eye, and I knew this was going to be it.

I was going to die...

_What? Are you stupid? Did Stella and that man not tell you that you have a power growing within you? You know, separate from Kingdom Hearts?_

That voice... right, it was that girl's voice who told me about the Keyblade. The voice that wasn't Stella or that man. But, how was I going to stop this guy from killing me...? I can't concentrate...my eyes are...closing.

no... I don't want to die...!

"...?" I heard Shan-Yu grunt, and I slowly opened my eyes. I didn't want to die...no, I don't want to die! As I fully opened my eyes, I felt a surge of power rushing from deep within me. Shan-Yu looked confused, and when we were both blinded by a blinding light, he released his grip on me. I fell to the floor gasping, and I caressed my neck. It felt warm, and I knew I was going to have a mark there...great. That wasn't really important, since something fell off, and I was freaking out when I heard a group of gasps.

My hat fell off, and I felt my hair falling down to my shoulders. My eyes widened at this, and instantly I heard everyone gasp again.

...Well, on the bright side, I don't have to dress around as a boy. I shook my head, ignoring that thought when I looked at the overloading males surrounding me. The captain looked the most distraught, and I felt really bad about dressing up as a guy in the first place... It would have been so much more easier if he had just let women join!

"You...are a woman?" he asked, looking down at me with disgust. Feeling guilty would be a lot more easier if this guy didn't act so sexist, but I guess beggars can't be choosers. I looked away and lowered my head, but when we all heard a familiar grunt the captain and his boys looked over to Shan-Yu.

"_Men_," he said, placing emphasis on the word. "Let us charge at the enemy! And you, take that girl away!"

He pointed to a random soldier, and he more than eagerly accepted the request. The soldier roughly grabbed my arm, and pulled me away from the battlefield. I told him that I could fight, and how I was useful. Nothing went passed this guy's head, though. I was just a woman in his eyes...a worthless woman who can't do anything like men can do.

As he took me towards the recruitment camp, I had to do something. I couldn't be taken somewhere unless I know Ping, Donald, Goofy, Mushu and Sora are okay! I'd be worried all day, and I know it wouldn't let up. The only thing I could do was...

_Thump._

To some people, I "Karate chopped" him from behind, but it was just a side hand attack that made him fall unconscious for a while. As soon as I turned my legs towards the others, I looked down to face my running shoes.

My _male_ running shoes.

...Well, since the captain probably would've sent someone else to bring me back, I decided to run back to the Gummi Ship and change. I dug into my pocket, and surprisingly I still had the keys. When I dug into my other pocket, I felt the Keyblade, but..

I didn't feel my necklace that I put away! Oh on! Don't tell me I lost it along the way? Great, this is _exactly_ what I need now. A bruise from a scary brute, and the only thing that made me feel safe was now lost.

I think I hate this world more than Halloween Town, now. I think I hate this world more than stairs, and that's saying _a lot_. I sighed angrily, and decided to head back to the ship and change for now.

ଓ**  
>Sora<strong>

Sora stabbed the ground with his Keyblade as he leaned on it. He, along with Ping, had just defeated the last remaining Heartless. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, and the barrier that separated him from his two friends disappeared. Goofy and Donald came running towards the other two, and they asked them if they were alright.

"Guess Shan-Yu wasn't here," noted Goofy. Mushu popped out of ping's armour, and kissed his teeth knowing that he had distinctively seen the brute. Nonetheless, Ping suggested going back to the village for now, and wanted to see how Marie was holding up.

"I wonder if those three guys are giving her a hard time?" she asked, laughing and smiling along their walk towards the village. Sora frowned as he heard this, and growled along with that frown.

"If they are bugging her, I'll punch them!" he retorted, not liking the idea of having _any_ guy bug Marie. Ping chuckled, and looked at Sora with an questioning look on her face.

"Do you...like Marie?" she asked, still smiling at the now blushing Sora. He really did love her, but lately, she hadn't been returning those feelings. He was starting to think that maybe it was more than being mad...maybe there was something bothering Marie? Maybe it wasn't him that was the problem...but what was?

"Ehe, I actually do. A lot." he looked away while blushing, and he could tell that Ping was smiling at him. "Just don't tell her. She's kind of mad at me."

Ping understood. Young love, it was something she swooned over, but she certainly didn't look the type. Nonetheless, she nodded. They walked back towards the village, but when the scent of smoke had thrust into their nostrils, Sora suddenly began to panic with Ping. They ran as fast as they could towards the village, and they both saw a god-fearing sight.

The village had been burnt down, and all one could hear was cackling of fires and wind howling through the emptied village. The four friends rushed to the scene, and as they did the smell of smoke was utterly overwhelming. Sora's breathing was erratic after thinking about Marie. Was she hurt? Taken? Or worse...

He shook his head. This was not happening, he didn't about that. The dream he previously had was enough to scare him for at least a month or so. Ping gasped, and that took Sora out of his fearful thoughts. When she ran over to someone Sora saw that it was the captain, and ran over to him. He was wounded, but at least he was still alive. For this, Sora was grateful.

"Captain, the enemy? Where did they go?" Ping asked, bending down to meet with the captain's eyes. He told them that Shan-Yu headed towards the summit, and that he laid waste to most of his men. This made Sora anxious, and bent down beside Ping to look at the captain.

"What happened to our friend?" he asked, not sounding too worried for fear of the captain thinking otherwise.

"Hmph. That person acted like a man when she was really a woman." Sora, Ping and the others gasped. The captain nodded, saying how he couldn't believe it either. He shook his head, and sighed. "It's disappointing that someone with that strength is a woman. Nonetheless, I'll gather up the rest of the soldiers and villagers."

Sora lowered his eyes, feeling bad that Marie was found out. He took a moment before looking back at the captain, and his facial expression was serious. "Captain, what'll happen to the girl?"

Sora tried hard not to say Marie's name, mainly because he would get in trouble. As much as he wanted to run and grab Marie, he had to do what was right for his sense of justice was incredibly high. The captain shook his head again, and got up slowly. "She's being taken to the recruitment camp and under watch. When we return, we'll decide what to do with her then."

Sora slowly nodded, and Ping looked at him sympathetically. She wanted Sora to be with Marie, but Shan-Yu prevented them from doing so. It was his fault, and he was going to pay. She told the captain not to overdo himself, and then told the rest that they had to go. Sora was reluctant, but he went either way.

He just really hoped that Marie was doing alright. As they started heading towards the summit, Ping stepped on something hard. She questioned to herself, and looked down. When she saw something shiny on the floor she picked it up. It was a necklace. A golden crown shaped necklace, to be precise. She raised her eyebrow to this, and wondered if it belonged to any of the villagers. She shrugged her shoulders, and kept the necklace in a safe spot in her armour so that it was safe. After the ordeal with Shan-Yu was done, she would find the person who lost the necklace.

She just hoped the person was still alive.

* * *

><p>Sorry this is late. As of today, my grandmother is no longer alive. Because of this, I won't be writing anything for a week. I need some time to just...clear everything in my head. I can't deal with all this stress from school, and my grandma's death is just killing me right now. So, sorry for the inconvenience.<p>

I also won't be answering the reviews I got from the last few chapters. I'm really sorry, but I just need to be alone and pray for my mother's safety to Guatemala. She's going to be taking care of the funeral, since it was her mother who died. I'm terribly sorry, I'll answer the reviews in the next chapter. I'm sorry.


	14. Exposed

I'm feeling a little better, and I didn't think it fair for you guys to not read any chapters. Thank you everyone for your words and who have supported and understood my grief. I can't thank you enough for being such wonderful people. =)

**Marie's casual wear:**

www[**dot]**swirl3y[**dot]**deviantart[**dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

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><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen<br>ଓ  
>Exposed<strong>

"Could you be a little slower?" Aura said while panting heavily. Riku stopped for a moment, but then began to thrust a little harder. He wasn't going to let her have her way, and she wasn't going to win either.

"What? Don't tell me you can't handle it," he said while also panting. He gave another thrust, and he could tell that Aura was finding it a little hard to control herself. She was trying to stop him, but his thrusts were so powerful and fast. Riku chuckled, and he merely stared at her while sweat dripped from his forehead.

She bent down to catch her breath. Training with Riku certainly proved difficult for her, since she severely underestimated his prowess. This was the first time fighting him too, since the first time she saw him was when she first lost her memory of him. A lot had happened back then, and Aura remembered him with silver hair and a blindfold. Now she could only see a shadow on his face, since it covered his face. She really didn't want to see it anyways, since she knew he looked like Xemnas, or whoever Xemnas' original was.

She remembered from the dreams she had while being part of the Organization that Marie often thought Riku as handsome. This was something Aura couldn't bother with, since she didn't really care about appearance. Plus, she wasn't fazed at all with Riku. He was another person who sometimes got on her nerves, and he was a person who sometimes made her feel like she could breath without a care.

"I think we should stop," he said, willing his Keyblade away. She stood up straight, and wiped the excess sweat on her forehead with her arm, while also willing her Keyblade away. She sighed as they walked towards the mansion in Twilight Town, and the walk was quiet but enjoyable.

"I didn't realize that fighting with one Keyblade would be really hard," confessed Aura. She didn't realize how hard the change was from downgrading to just one blade, and it certainly ruined the balance she had with her fighting abilities. Of course, she didn't regret it. She knew Marie needed help with the whole changing into a guy thing, so she was more than willing to help. She felt responsible, naturally. She had no right to interfere with Marie's memories, or making her forget about Sora and their relationship together.

"I hope Marie remembers about Sora, soon." she lowered her head, and Riku looked at her. He could tell that she really did feel sorry about the whole incident, but he also knew how she felt to an extent. She was angry at how she couldn't live out her fairy tale ending, and she wanted the two people who were a part of it to suffer. They weren't positive, but Riku knew that those were emotions Aura felt.

"I have a feeling she will," he replied, wiping any sweat he had on his face. Fighting in the forest was a great way to prevent anyone from seeing, since most of the townspeople didn't really go near the forest _or_ the mansion. Riku stopped when they reached the gate of the mansion, and looked at Aura. "Say, have you talked to Stella lately?"

"Not really, she's been keeping quiet," she replied, stretching her neck. Aura did find it weird that Stella wasn't talking, since that woman had _too_ many things to say. She was a bit concerned though, and she wanted to know what was up.

_Stay where you are. I need to speak with you and Riku._

"What?" she said a loud. Riku looked at her weirdly, wondering what she was saying that for. His look returned to normal though, since she was probably talking to Stella. A short silence appeared for a minute, and then a whooshing noise was heard from behind the bushes. Aura and Riku turned around, with their weapons suddenly summoned. As the person arose from the bushes, Riku lowered his weapon, and eventually willed it away.

"Huh, so you're back?" he asked as the person—who appeared in front of them—smiled at them. Aura looked at the person. It was a woman with fairly long blonde hair, and the softest looking honey brown eyes. Her bangs were swept to the right, and it complimented her soft facial expression. She appeared to be in her mid thirties, and she placed her hands in front of her.

"It seems so. It's nice to finally meet you, Aura." she looked at the young brunette, and Aura gasped when the voice of the woman sounded so familiar. It was Stella...

"Y-you're Stella!" she semi-shouted. It was incredibly hard to believe that, but she couldn't explain or convince herself that it was someone else when that voice she heard sounded _exactly_ like Stella. Was it possible that someone so other-worldly could appear in-front of her?

"Hard to believe?" she asked as she tilted her head and smiled. Aura's eye twitched, there was something oddly familiar with this woman, but she couldn't pinpoint how. Stella noticed this—as well as heard it since she was able to hear Aura's thoughts—and laughed. "I wanted to show you that I am a human being that existed in this world. Well, not this world to be exact. I came from Destiny Islands."

"Heh. The world were everyone basically originated from, huh?" Aura smirked, and she placed her hands on her hips. It was nice that Stella wanted to prove a point, but what was her actual intention of showing up? "So, why _exactly_ are you here?"

"No reason. I just wanted to keep testing this hologram thingy," she smiled and pointed to herself. Aura raised her eyebrow, this woman definitely reminded her of someone else. "Well then, I'll be going."

As fast as she appeared, the woman whooshed out of their sights, and both Riku and Aura were left with opened jaws. She was certainly an odd one, that Stella figure. But it was really odd. Aura shrugged it off, and left to go inside the mansion. Riku stood there for a moment, and scratched the back of his head. She shook it, and followed Aura back inside. Stella was indeed weird.

**ଓ  
>Sora<strong>

As he and his friends reached the base of the summit, they saw a sketchy looking eagle fly toward the tip of the summit. It reached a tall, bulky and quite scary-looking man. It was no doubt Shan-Yu, but what caught Sora's attention was the horde of Heartless that appeared behind him. The enemy raised his sword up, and ordered the piranha-looking Heartless to attack. One by one, they swam towards Sora and his crew. Sora prepared his Keyblade, and everyone else took their stance.

As they engaged the Heartless, Sora insanely ripped each apart. He was angry that this guy was preventing him from seeing Marie, and not only that. He was angry at how he and Marie were, she was angry and he was angry because she was angry. It didn't really make a whole lot of sense, but he just wanted to be how he was with her.

Ping struggled to attack the Heartless, but she tried her hardest. She was going to prove that she was worthy of being in the army, even if it would have to cost her an arm or a leg. She didn't want to dishonour her father's name, but she didn't want to fight. Of course, she had to do this for her father, he was much too old to go, so she had to take his place as his "son".

As both Sora and Ping got rid of another set of Heartless, Donald and Goofy were also doing their part in defeating the Heartless that surrounded them. They were defending and supporting both Ping and Sora, while Donald occasionally fired spells at the opposing team.

Sora attacked another group of Heartless, and growled as he looked at the other batch. Just how many Heartless did this guy have? This was getting ridiculous.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

I brushed my hair after getting changed, getting rid of all that static feel that was in it. It felt nice to wear light wear clothing, and not the bulky hunk of heap I was wearing before. I switched my Keyblade, too. The one I was using suddenly disappeared, and I have no clue where it is now. It's like it magically went away, although, that wouldn't be too hard to understand. I looked at myself in the mirror one last time, and walked outside the ship.

I started walking to the recruitment camp, maybe Sora and the others are there already? Oh but, maybe the captain is there too? Man, being a girl in this place sucks really bad. I touched my neck, and sighed. I can't believe I lost my necklace. There was something I liked about that necklace, but I couldn't figure out why. This is going to be bug me for a while. _Great_.

**ଓ  
>Sora<strong>

As Sora, Ping and the rest of the crew finished up fighting off the rest of the Heartless, Shan-Yu called for some more and glared at them. He raised his blade once again and he, along with the new horde of Heartless, started charging at Sora and his crew. Sora gasped, and the three men that had previously beaten Sora appeared in front of them. "Leave this to us!"

The short, stubby man placed a firecracker down on the snow and positioned it towards Shan-Yu, he was not gonna get away with his crimes. Ping noticed the tip of the mountain, and thought of a plan. She pushed the guy away, and ran a little ahead. She placed the firecracker down on the snow again, and positioned it so that it would hit the mountain. She looked around for a lighter, and when she couldn't she looked at Mushu. He got the sudden realization of what she was planning, and tried running away. Ping grabbed him before he could though, and when she squeezed a small flame out of his petite body, Mushu jumped on top of the firecracker as it went soaring through the sky.

As it crashed into the mountain, snow started toppling down towards Shan-Yu and the rest of them. Sora looked behind him, and noticed the captain. Ping gasped, and quickly ran towards him. Shan-Yu tried running away, but his massive self was caught within the avalanche. Sora and the others noticed, and everyone started running away. Ping grabbed the captain's hand, and led him to safety.

As the avalanche gave out, Sora and the others jumped to the floor. They got up after a few minutes, and the captain thanked Ping. She smiled, although looked quite bushed. "It...was nothing."

"I should have never doubted you,' said the captain, who indeed looked at Ping with respect. She smiled at him, and he looked at the avalanche. "From now on, you have my trust."

Ping thanked him as she bowed. Mushu appeared from the snow, and started mumbling complaints about being turned into a cannon ball. He rubbed the back of his scaly neck, and walked towards Ping. "Come on, Mulan. Let's leave this dump and go back home, girl!"

"Mulan...?" the captain looked at her in disbelief. After all this time, trying to believe in her abilities, when it turned out she was a woman. Sora, Donald and Goofy came running towards the two, calling out their names and asking if they were alright. The captain grew furious, yet calmly walked up towards Sora. "You knew, too? You _knew_ Ping was a woman in disguise. I bet you knew about Mario!"

Sora and the others stuttered and tried thinking of ways to defend Ping—or Mulan. When they couldn't think of anything, the captain walked past all of them, and looked back for a moment. "The punishment for high treason and dishonouring the army...is death!"

Mulan gasped, and watched as the captain told her to get out of his sight, telling her to run away. Sora tried calling out to him, and the captain silenced him by saying his debt was repaid, but he could do nothing more. He ordered his men to move out, saying the emperor was waiting. Ping sighed as they did, and Mushu apologized while admitting that it was his fault.

After a moment if taking off the armour she was wearing, ping—now Mulan, let her hair down. She turned to Sora and his friends while thanking them for helping her out. Sora asked her what she was going to do now, and Mulan looked around the area while thinking.

"Go back home," she said as she began to walk. Mushu sighed, scared to think what her father would say and do. Mulan sighed as well, since she was frightened as to what he would do. Sora smiled, and assured Mulan that he, Donald and Goofy would share the blame with her. She turned around, and smiled at them. "Thanks, you guys. You're all such wonderful friends."

They all began walking back towards the recruitment camp, so they could pick up Marie. Sora was worried, since she would probably get punished. He wanted to save her from that, so they hurried along the way. As they walked outside the summit, they suddenly heard a loud growl. They looked down towards where the avalanche had been, and saw Shan-Yu getting up groggily. Mulan gasped, along with the others as they saw the remaining Heartless beside them.

"Shan-Yu!" shouted Mulan. They all stared at him while he glared at the city. As he began to walk, it was certain that he was heading towards that place. Mulan got up from the snow, and looked towards Donald, Goofy and Sora. "We've got to warn Shang!"

"But—" Mulan interrupted Sora and assured him that they would quickly grab Marie from the camp. Sora nodded, although hesitantly, and they began to ran towards the city.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

It was taking me a while to get to the recruitment camp, mainly because I had stopped suddenly from time to time. I was having too many things in my head, and it was seriously distracting me from going anywhere. I scratched the centre of my palm as I walked, since it was itchy, and I let out a huge sigh.

As I reached the end of the forest trail, I heard clanking noises and feet shuffling. I hid behind a tree, and noticed the captain with his men walking towards the recruitment camp. I knelt down a bit, trying to hear what they were saying, but I couldn't catch much of it.

"I see. We have no time to look for her, we must report to the emperor." He turned away from the recruitment camp, and walked towards somewhere else. It was most likely to the way where the emperor lived. I waited a couple of minutes after he left, so that I was sure he wouldn't return. I felt my neck burn, and when I touched it I hissed a bit. I forgot that I had a bruise there from Shan-Yu. It doesn't look as bad as I imagined, but the fact that my life was literally in his hands scared me. I have to be more careful.

After waiting for a while I finally ran out of the forest and into the open, but as soon as I was able to turn around I bumped into something. I fell flat on my behind, and couldn't help but scream when I did. I heard a grunt from the opposing side, and I stared at who bumped into me. Let's just say...a weight lifted from my shoulders.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" I said happily as I got up. I brushed off the dirt from my clothes, and I ran up to hug all of the guys. Donald quacked, while Goofy did his Goofy laugh. I noticed Sora was silent, but his hug was awfully tight. It didn't matter though, I was just really happy to see my friends again. As I pulled away from the hug, a woman appeared from behind Sora, Donald and Goofy. I smiled at who she was, since it was pretty obvious that the only other woman around here was Mulan.

She didn't smile at me though, and instead stared at what I didn't want people staring. I should have brought a scarf or something, but...even that would cause a curious stare or two. I sighed, and covered it up with my hand.

"Marie, what happened to your neck?" she said in a concerned voice. I looked away, since I couldn't bring myself to say that I wasn't strong enough to fight off Shan-Yu. Sora noticed the bruise on my neck, and worry washed over him fast than a tsunami. He walked up to me, and I kept looking away. He held his hand up and it moved to my neck, trying to pry my hands off of it. I decided to move it away, or else Sora would bug me forever about it if I didn't.

His eyes lowered, and he had a rather pained look on his face, like he was the one who got hurt. I couldn't understand him at times, but it actually...felt oddly nice that he was starting to care. Maybe I was just getting used to his over-concerned, odd, caring ways.

"Did...did someone hurt you?" he asked, still looking at my bruise. I sighed, and tried smiling as to comfort him. I wish I could just hide this stupid bruise, but that was a _little_ impossible.

"I was there when Shan-Yu attacked the village. I tried fighting him, but he just overpowered me. My cover was blown too, and the captain found out I was actually a girl," I said as I rubbed the bruise on my neck. Mulan's eyes were wide, probably because I was crazy enough to attack a brute like that idiot Shan-Yu. Sora sighed, and looked down at the floor. I kept looking away, mainly because making people worry about me was the last thing I wanted to happen. This wasn't going well.

But there were more important things at hand. What happened to the captain? Did he find out about Mulan? "Hey, guys, where did the captain go? I saw him leave towards that way."

I pointed towards what looked like the city, and Mulan gasped quite loudly. "We have to go!" she said. "The emperor and the city are in danger! Shan-Yu is still alive!"

I couldn't really say anything, since Mulan grabbed my hand and started running towards the city. Sora, Donald and Goofy followed close behind, and I wasn't given enough time to grasp what Mulan had said. Regardless, someone was in danger, and that was more than enough for me to get into fighting mode. As we got closer to the city, Mulan made a turn and we headed towards a giant castle. From there, we were able to see the captain and his men move along closer to it. Mulan let go of my hand, and she started running faster towards the captain.

"Shang!" she shouted, clearly out of breath. "Shan-Yu is alive! He's coming this way!"

The captain didn't believe her, though. Sora butted in, and told him she was telling the truth. I tried saying something, but since I wasn't there to physically see it for myself, I held back my tongue. As we stood there waiting for the captain to reply, Donald and I saw an eagle pass by the castle. The captain took notice, and saw it fly towards the roof of the castle. He gasped, and ordered his men to guard the emperor.

The three coloured soldiers ran towards the castle, while the others suddenly turned into Heartless. I quickly took out my Keyblade, as did everyone else. Sora told the captain to protect the emperor while we dealt with the losers that were here with us. He hesitated a bit, but Donald "ordered" him to go. The captain quickly left to go, and we were left with the Heartless here.

Sora turned to me, and I looked at him. He was still worried, from what I could see, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from fighting. I gave him a small smile, and took my stance. "I'll be okay! Let's do this together!"

He nodded, and attacked first. Mulan followed in after, and she was pretty good with a sword now! I didn't have time to comment on that though, since a Heartless was headed my way. I immediately blocked it's attack, and spun my Keyblade around and attacked. It quickly recovered though, and attacked. I was able to partially block it, but I tripped a bit and it attacked once more, making me fall behind. I groaned as I hit the floor, and I looked up at it. It raised it's hand, and I gasped. It was floating above the floor, so kicking it's ankles or something was out of the question.

I placed my Keyblade in front of me, hoping to block it. I felt something burn up in my body, and I closed my eyes. When it became unbearable, the burning sensation suddenly felt like it exploded and I opened my eyes. Bad mistake though, because when I opened them a blinding light came up and the Heartless hissed as it disappeared. I actually heard the rest of the Heartless his, and when the light subsided, I looked around.

Not a single Heartless in sight...my eyes were huge, and I slowly got up from the floor. Sora, Donald, Goofy and Mulan all looked at me, and I couldn't help but look away. This power...it's not the power that came from Kingdom Hearts, is it? Is this _my_ power? The one Stella told me I had deep within me?

"Marie..." I looked at Sora, and he had that same worried look in his face as always. I sighed, and smiled at all of them. I motioned my hand towards the castle, and Mulan gasped knowing we had to check on the emperor and the captain. She ran past me, and so did Donald and Goofy. I was about to run, but then Sora appeared running past me. He grabbed my hand, and smiled as he turned around. I stared at him like a deer in headlights, but I didn't object to it. I was starting to like having someone care.

As we ran to the entrance of the castle, we saw Shan-Yu holding a knife to what I assumed was the emperor's neck. He smirked at us, and we were all on our toes. "Now, you'll bow to me," he said.

We all stood waiting to make a move, and then suddenly the captain appeared and attacked the brute. When he was staggering, the captain brought the emperor inside the castle, and those three soldiers closed the door. Good, now the emperor was safe. Mulan ran towards the entrance as we followed close behind, preventing him from entering. He growled loudly, and I was a little scared. This guy did _almost_ kill me.

I could tell Mulan was serious since she was the first to attack Shan-Yu. Sora came in to back her up, but Shan-Yu managed to block both of their attacks. Donald fired some spells, and it made him stagger a bit. Mulan dived in to slash him, and Sora did the same. Goofy would occasionally defend for Sora or Mulan, and I attacked when I had the chance. When it came to this guy, I was actually scared to fight full on.

But I shook my head. I just needed to concentrate, and beat this meanie!

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><p>Chapter fourteen is out and about. Sorry for the really depressing and awkward and probably random week. I really thought this year would start off great, but sometimes things aren't always as they seem.<p>

**Lvl-ZeR0:**  
>Haha, glad you liked the chapters. Hmm, well I don't love food enough for it to come between me and my video games. I guess you win. And thank you so much, I don't want to be selfish and not write at all, though, so I'm trying my best to write chapters. <p>

**dracula-key:**  
>Axel is confused and confusing. Aura is definitely feeling weird about it all, but that will hopefully change in time. Yeah, Sora strikes me as the type to like personality over looks. Not because he's deep like that, but because he's too hyper and moronic to notice looks like that LOL. It's not that hard, just picture Roxas' sleep wear but red and black. Haha, Sora doesn't notice a lot of things. If he couldn't tell that Ping was Mulan, how could he with Marie? Ryan was added last minute, actually. He's sort of a tribute to a friend who is diagnosed as iron-deficiency anaemic, and he likes my story. Other than that, I also wanted a little surprise for my story, too. So I'm glad it got you interested more. The necklace situation will be brought up soon, since a nobody will interfere with it. It shall be quite interesting. XD <p>

**Shadow 1n2:**  
>LOL. Yeah, some people had to double check to see if their hotmail was lying or something. Yeah, Ryan is her cousin to be more specific. Soon, he'll be a big part of the team, but when that will come is still unknown. Yup, I know how it was made. She just touched it and BOOM, instant Keyblade powers. I just hope she gets useful in KH3 or something, since I've heard nothing from her. I've actually seen a lot of videos like that, and it's actually not that hard to connect everything together. It just takes some time. Thank you so much for your condolence, I've gotten better but I'm just still in shock. She was still young, and I had this crazy idea that she wouldn't die for a very, very long time. And yeah, gangs in centralsouth America is killing me. My sister lives in fear in Guatemala cause of the dangers that are there. I'm sorry about your grandfather and uncle, oddly enough my uncle passed away too, and both of my grandfathers were dead even before I was born. 

**Lele-the-Greek-Geek:**  
>Ugh, yeah. I love College, but the workload and hours are just brutal. No time for me to just chill and sleep. Haha, I feel bad for this too, but it's too fun to pass up. Don't worry, though. The truth will come to Sora...but in the way you wouldn't expect. Haha, and that...let's say a kiss will be present. And yep, Ryan is her official cousin. Thanks so much, but I'll still try to write for you guys, so that I'm distracted. <p>

**Dracula X:**  
>LOL. I would have done the same. Eh, well none of them know who he's talking to, so it's not like they can say anything without knowing something...I think. DX haha, yeah. Mario is like the opposite name for MarieMaria apparently, so I was like "WHY NOT?" and I would love that. I'll add you on that Dox thingy? Thank you so much for you caring attitude, it really means a lot. I think I would die if any of my immediate family passed away. Family means a lot to me, despite all the hardships we go through. I always told myself that if my dad dies before I find love, I'll never marry. I would love it if he'd walk me down the aisle. True, Marie just punched him out, so she got a chance to change back into her girly self. 

**AlexMontgomery:**  
>I see a lot of Japanese names or really long names like Bella Stella Ally Ashley de la fleur. For me it's more of a 'I hope my character can relate to others so that she isn't mary-sueish.' it would suck if no one would relate to her and eventually accuse her of being a mary sue. Ah, I love that name. It's actually unique to me. XD<p>

**SisterOfScarletDevil:**  
>LOL. No one did! And thank you, I'm feeling better though, and I still want to write. It helps with everything I'm going through at the moment. <p>

**TheEspadaSisters:**  
>Actually, it was because of that that I thought it would be perfect to do the whole oblivious thing. Sora is waaay to oblivious, and well...stupid. But I love it like that because I have someone to poke fun at, even if he is a video game dude. Nah, they're actually cousins. She was just adopted into his family since Stella disappeared. Thank you for understanding, though I still plan to write. I think it'll keep me distracted from thinking of my grandma. <p>

**InuyaKoneko:**  
>XDXD. I've actually never played that game, but I heard it was good. I'm actually looking forward to seeing the walk-through of that game, sine I don't have the console. I think I've received it. I'll go check again. And don't worry, it won't be much better, but at least Sora will know soon enough that Marie isn't mad at him. Ooh, well I can't wait to see you! The more the merrier. Ah, and I won't be doing a story on that game. I don't think it'd be much point since it's actually data Sora doing all the work, and it's not the real deal. And yeah, the user has been banned from that site, so I feel relieved about that. XD <p>

**grapejuice101:**  
>Thank you, that means a lot to me! I'm still sad about it, but I have to move on. I know my grandma is in a good place, so I have nothing to fear. <p>

**Fictionalcharacterwish:**  
>thank you, I am feeling better and I'm still writing. I really appreciate all the support I've been getting. =) <p>

**TheEpicBlueNinja:**  
>Nah, that's fine. I'm glad you got the chance, though. I've been sleeping all day the first few days, but I'm feeling better now. So I'm very happy you sent me those kind words. =) <p>

**DaniPotterLovesGod:**  
>Thank you for your words. I know there will be brighter days, and I've been feeling better now. I heard the song, and it's really catchy, glad you told me about it! :)<p> 


	15. Ryan's somewhat resolve and a brute

You all have dirty, _dirty_ **minds!** LOL, nah I'm joking. I intentionally made the first few paragraphs sound dirty. I'm such a perverted nerd~

In addition, from what I have learned and read, Tidus is 13 in KH1 and 14 in KH2. Because of this, I have written him as such. Wakka _and_ Ryan are Riku's age.

**Marie's casual wear:**

www[**dot]**swirl3y[**dot]**deviantart[**dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen<strong>  
><strong>ଓ<strong>  
><strong>Ryan's somewhat resolve and a brute appears<strong>

"Dude, come on. I'm sure they had a reason to cover her story up," said a very concerned Tidus. He and his friend Wakka watched as Ryan walked back and forth in his room. His parents had gone on a business trip, and wouldn't be home until later on today. Ryan was furious that his parents kept his aunt, uncle and cousin from him. Were they not important enough for him to know? Were they ashamed for some reason? Whatever it was, Ryan was angry.

"They knew all along, and that's wrong!" he shouted, coughing a bit due to his illness. Wakka got up in a bit of a panic, but Ryan raised his hand in front of him, signalling that he was all right. "I can't believe they were hiding my cousin from me while I was practically living in the hospital. Geez, I wonder what they told her to hide me from her!"

He couldn't control his anger, and he didn't like that. His doctor had told him that if he were to over-exert himself he would be in trouble, so he took a couple of breaths to calm down. When he took a huge breath, he placed his hands on his hips. He looked over to his friends, and smirked. "I should find her. She's still on the island, right?"

Tidus sighed, and couldn't believe how stubborn his friends were. He was two years younger than Wakka and Ryan, and he was surprisingly normal compared to the two. He was also the most level headed, which was another thing that surprised most people. Well, compared to his friends that is.

"If she was still on the island, wouldn't they have found her by now or something?" he said, looking at the two while scratching his head. Ryan grunted, thinking that maybe Tidus was right. What if the kidnapper took her_ too_ far away? It was his job to find out, and he was going to do it. He was going to find Marie.

"I should pack, so I'm prepared to sleep in the wild if necessary." Wakka slapped his forehead when he heard his best friend say this; it was obvious that Ryan would not stop until he found his long-lost cousin. He did not want to stop him though, since his friend worried about it. Maybe he would have to learn the hard way. Ryan packed some clothing into his duffle bag, and let it lump over his shoulder. He checked it again, and made sure he had his essentials: first-aid kit, clothes, water and food. Oh, and he couldn't forget his lucky hat. He ran to his room, and quickly spotted the hat. He placed it on his head, and positioned it to how he liked it. He came back into the living room, and stared at his friends as they gave him an odd look. "Well, I'll be seeing you," he said as he waved.

Tidus sighed, and Wakka shook his head in disappointment. There really was no way of stopping Ryan, and all they could do was to go along with it for now. Tidus had been sitting down, and got up to pat his friend on the shoulder. "You're crazy, you know that?"

Ryan laughed, and Wakka softly punched his arm. "Just don't go doing anything that's gonna hurt you, ya?"

Ryan nodded in agreement, and they all left the house. He locked the door, and placed the key in his bag. The boys took one last look at him before he walked off into wherever he needed to go. They both looked at each other, and sighed as they hoped Ryan came to his sense soon. His search was ridiculous, they thought; Ryan was just upset. Ryan set forth in his adventure, and made sure that every nook and cranny was left untouched. He didn't feel bad about leaving his parents, since they didn't bother to tell him about Marie. He was going to bring her home, and then everyone would be happy, right?

Well, at least he hoped so.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

I wasn't fighting a lot in this battle, but I guess that was alright. I mainly supported everyone with my healing spells, so Donald was given a break for once. It actually balanced our combative system, since we had someone on the front lines, someone defending, someone dealing spells, and of course the healer. I feel important now, and it was good feeling like that after having my powers taken away. Shan-Yu attacked Sora, and I healed him quickly. Mulan dealt a blow from behind, and I smiled when Donald fired a spell. Despite the awkwardness and everything, I was glad that it didn't disrupt our ability to work together.

I did notice that Sora was fighting more aggressively than usual, and I had to wonder why. Hmm, maybe it was the fact that he burnt down the village. Sora is so driven by justice that he _has_ to do the right thing, and it was an admirable quality. Then again, Sora just usually dives into trouble, so it was hard to tell.

As I concentrated on the fight, I noticed Shan-Yu running towards me. My eyes widened a bit, and I held my keyblade in front of me. If it was one thing I was good at, it was healing, defending with my keyblade, and hand-to-hand combat. Although I did fight, I wasn't exactly comfortable with it. The fighting stance always made me feel awkward secretly. I shook my head; this is no time to be distracted!

Shan-Yu started running faster, and I heard Sora call out my name. I held my keyblade up, and I was able to block his first and second attack. This person was ten times stronger than me, so the third attack made me stagger a bit. I tried to see if I could defend it again, but when I started feeling weak, I decided to dodge. I evaded his attack, and he was still trying to get me.

…Come on, I just want a break from this loser!

**ଓ  
>Sora<strong>

Sora noticed that Marie was struggling with Shan-Yu, and it made him irritated. He already bruised her neck, he wasn't going to let him hurt her more. A stinging power revealed itself inside of Sora, and he looked down at his chest. There was a red glow, and Sora quickly recognized it as the power of the valor form. If he really wanted to get Shan-Yu away from Marie, he needed to dive into the new power of his. He ran over to Goofy and Donald, and spoke quickly. "Goofy, I need your power!"

Goofy immediately understood, and stood near Sora as he summoned the power of valor. Goofy disappeared, and Donald watched in awe as his clothes started to change. Shan-Yu stopped tracking Marie, and looked behind him as Sora changed. Mulan helped Marie up, and they both watched as Sora's clothes started changing colours. It was the same style, but the colour turned red. He donned two keyblades, and Marie smiled. She had almost forgotten about his special power, and although she was jealous, she really liked the whole concept of his powers.

As a red light sparkled, Sora was fully in control of the power. He looked at Shan-Yu, who merely looked at him with a challenging smirk. He pointed his blade at Sora and started to run, hoping for a better challenge than what was at hand. Sora threw his first keyblade at him, but it was blocked. He then ran towards Shan-Yu, and attacked him with the other keyblade he had in his hand. The other keyblade returned and Sora hacked away at the brute effortlessly. Shan-Yu attacked Sora, but Marie was able to heal him quickly. Mulan and the rest stared as Sora delivered fast and well-timed attacks, with every strike stronger than the last.

As he fought, Sora could feel the power in him. It was prideful, and very confident. He didn't realize just how strong these clothes of his could be, but he was grateful that the three fairies were able to give it to him. As he attacked again, he glanced over to Marie and the others. Donald was firing spells, and Mulan was doing her best to attack. What really caught his attention, if only for a while, was Marie. She was standing there smiling at Sora; a first for him. He hadn't seen her smile so genuinely since their last adventure. He figured she was smiling because of his power, but he didn't care. She was smiling the way he loved her smile.

Returning to the battle, Sora spun both his keyblades and they touched Shan-Yu, effectively hurting him. When the brute was able to land an attack, Sora felt the power of his slowly drive down, eventually making it disappear. When it did, Goofy appeared, and the power was gone for the time being.

Mulan continued attacking the evil man, and Sora took a few breaths while recovering from the use of his power. It was incredible, but it was also tiring. As he bent down to catch his breath, he felt a small hand pat his back, and he looked behind him; it was Marie.

"That was awesome!" she gleefully said. She scrunched up her hands into fists, and giggled as she smiled at the young brown-haired boy. "Man, I wish I could do that."

Sora smiled innocently; he was so happy to know Marie was showing some signs of being her old self. She extended her hand for him to grab onto, to which he did. He stood straight, and he lightly caressed her hand. Her eyes began to shift, and pulled her hand away. "Well, then, let's fight."

He was happy to see her smile, however _short_ the sweet moment.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

I thought Sora was done with these awkward moments, but I guess not. As soon as I let go of his hand, he went straight to battle. I hadn't even realized that we were still in battle…

I shook my head, time to get serious! I looked over to Shan-Yu, and I noticed that he was struggling hard against the combined forces of Mulan and Sora. Donald shooting some spells made it even harder for him to take control. I figured I should do something; like attack or fire a spell. I still remembered the spells that had from our last adventure.

"Fire!" I shouted. The stars on my keyblade lit up, and they turned red. Three fireballs shot out from them, and headed towards Shan-Yu. I watched as they successfully hit the giant, and then Mulan came in dealing a hefty blow. Shan-Yu shouted and grumbled some intangible words, fell down to the floor, and the impact of it was huge!

Mulan sighed, and Sora laughed proudly. Mushu walked around gloating how no one should mess with Mulan. I laughed along, until Mushu started gloating about himself.

I sighed.

**ଓ  
>Aura<strong>

She stood in the middle of the sandlot, and closed her eyes. How many memories, moments, and feelings has she experienced in this place? No matter how hard she tried to push it all away, they came back. Roxas…the boy's name popped up a lot in her head, and she was wondering why. Aside from the fact that she missed and loved him, he hadn't appeared a lot in her head.

Was that Riku's doing?

She spent a lot of time with him, and he often made her forget a lot about her problems. She didn't know whether to address him as a good friend or just a partner, since they were almost always together when they had something to do for DiZ. Placing her arms around her as she walked, Aura began to think about something that she tried to avoid. That thought was Axel.

What was he doing? Was he well? Did he have someone by his side? No, of course not, since the only friends he had had either disappeared or left him. She really wanted to march back into the castle, take him and leave so they could spend eternity together. Would he want that? Possibly, but Axel was fair, and wanted all of his close friends together. That included Roxas. Was there anyone else?

She had so many questions stuck in her head, and she was having trouble where to start in order to answer them. She sighed, and figured her first step would be to approach the fiery redhead. That would be hard, since the last time they saw each other Axel nearly had her captured. She was surprised…surprised at how scared she could be of him. As she walked closer and closer towards the mansion, she started breathing deeply. Yes, her first step was seeing Axel again. She looked forward, and saw Riku leaning against the walls as he kicked nearby rocks. He lifted his head, and looked up at her. She couldn't see it, but he smiled every time he saw her. She approached slowly, and then stopped with a solemn expression.

"I want to talk to Axel," she said as she looked at Riku. He was shocked by what she said, and he was confused as to why she would request such a thing. He silently shook his head though, since she was going through something difficult. He stopped leaning on the wall, and walked closer to Aura. He placed his hands on her shoulder, and for the first time she allowed it. Was she all right? Maybe she was serious about all of this. He sighed, and looked straight into her eyes.

"If you really want to…" he was cut off when Aura placed her hands together and gave a pleading look to him. He gaped his mouth open, and was surprised at how similar that action looked compared with Marie. It was nice though, since he was able to tell that Aura was starting to develop the softer side of her. It seemed that all the hateful feelings were finally tiring her out. Maybe she wanted to try letting people into her space. He hoped so. "Let's try to think of something."

As much as he didn't want to, he thought this would probably ease Aura a bit. That's all that mattered, right?

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

This was so nerve wrecking. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Mulan and I stood before the people on this world, and before the emperor. Behind him was Shang, the captain that was rude to Mulan for being a woman. I was scared of what would happen to her, and I would willingly suffer the punishment with her, since I acted along with it. I would never leave a friend with punishment that I was involved with, too.

"I've heard a lot about you, Fa Mulan," stated the emperor. Mulan walked ahead of us, and bowed to him. He smiled a bit, and nodded his head. "You stole your father's armour, ran away from home, and impersonated an imperial soldier. You deceived your commanding officer, shamed the entire Chinese army, and dishonoured your family name."

"We get the picture…" complained Sora. I tugged on his glove, and he looked at me with an apologetic expression. We both looked at the emperor, and he closed his eyes for a moment.

"You're a young woman, and in the end…" he said as we all sighed sadly. This was it; our punishment was going to be handed to us on a silver platter. "…You have saved us all."

The emperor bowed to Mulan, and when she noticed, she started to panic. Well, that was something. We heard the whole crowd behind us clapping, and we turned to watch. We all gasped, and both Donald and Goofy jumped up and down for joy. Sora raised his fist in the air, and when he did, I noticed my hand was still clinging onto his other hand's glove. I let go immediately, and smiled at them as they were patting themselves. Mulan turned around, and faced the emperor. "Your Excellency!" she exclaimed seriously.

The emperor called for the captain, and he walked towards Mulan with a sword, the same sword that Shan-Yu held. The emperor told her that the sword was symbol to show what she did for China. We all bowed, as Mulan thanked him. As we stood up straight, the captain called Mulan, along with Sora, Donald, and Goofy's name. He looked towards me, and tilted his head in confusion. Right, he didn't know my _girl_ name.

"Oh, it's Marie." He nodded, and bowed to us as he said his thanks. The emperor laughed, and the captain stood up straight as he questioned him.

"Thank you?" he asked, looking at the young captain. "Is that all there is to say, captain? If you wish to win the heart of Fa Mulan, China's bravest woman, you'll have to be a bit more eloquent than that!"

The captain looked mighty flustered after that, and I giggled along with the emperor. Mulan laughed along with us, and Sora asked her for autograph as a joke. Mulan turned to us, and she smiled genuinely at us. "Thank you for everything, guys."

Mushu popped out of nowhere, and started talking about guardians. Goofy talked with him, and soon enough Sora entered the conversation. I wasn't paying attention to it, and all I saw was Sora running after Mushu. I started giggling along with Mulan, and then we calmed down. "I have to thank you the most, Marie. You dressed up as a man even though you didn't have to, and you almost got hurt because of Shan-Yu."

I smiled at her, and giggled. "I was just doing what was right, but I am glad we got to meet you." As we laughed, the sword that Mulan received started glowing, and I knew it was a sign for Sora to unlock the gate to the next world. He turned around when it shine brightly, and he took out his keyblade. The same thing that happened with the committee card he got happened with the sword. A new world was unlocked, and it was time to say goodbye to this one.

"Looks like we gotta get movin'," stated Goofy. Donald quacked along with him, and Sora turned around to look at Mulan and Shang. He smiled, and rubbed his nose.

"We can always visit you guys, right?" he asked. Mulan agreed instantly, and the captain formally invited us to come back whenever we wanted to. I smiled, wishing that we could come back whenever we wanted to. However, didn't the king say last year that once the worlds were disconnected, we would no longer be able to visit?

"Play nice, you two," teased Sora. I looked up, and noticed that Shang and Mulan started blushing. Shang told him to watch it, although shyly. I giggled a bit, but then I remembered my own predicament with Sora; how everyone thought we're an item or something. We all said our goodbyes, and Sora was the first to run towards the gummi ship. Donald and Goofy ran along with him, and I walked behind them. As I did, the sudden thought of Stella popped into my head. I wonder how she's doing, and how everything is going. Although I got a glimpse of the power that was my own, I still didn't understand it. I just wish that Stella could explain it a bit before she went M.I.A on me.

As we reached the ship, I saw the guys waiting. Oh right, I had the keys. I hurried towards them, and opened the door. I was the first to enter, and as I did I stretched for a while. I was sore, not to mention tired, from that world. A lot happened, and I just wanted to fall over my bed and sleep. Actually, I was starting to feel my eyes getting heavy. I walked over to the dormitory section of the ship, but I was walking slowly as well as groggily.

The next thing I knew, I fell to the floor, and just started sleeping.

**ଓ  
>Sora<strong>

Sora gasped when he saw Marie fall to the floor, and flood of panic washed over him. He instantly ran towards her, and he bent down to her side. Goofy and Donald ran along, and they examined her. When they found a slight smile on her face, and deep breathing, they were sighed. She was breathing.

"Gwarsh, she must be tired," guessed Goofy. Sora nodded, and stared at the blonde-haired girl. She did a lot during the visit to Mulan's world, to the point of facing Shan-Yu alone. This reminded him of something, and looked at Marie as he pushed her hair away from her neck, exposing the slightly coloured bruise. Goofy and Donald noticed, and they cringed at the sight.

"You should put her to bed," suggested Donald. He looked at Sora, and he blushed. He carefully placed his hands around Marie, picking her up slowly bride style, and stood straight. Donald and Goofy walked towards the centre of the ship, while Sora walked towards Marie's room. As he did, he kept looking at Marie. She had bags underneath her eyes, and she didn't really look all that peaceful in her sleep. Was there something bothering her besides the whole being mad at him thing? He sighed, and wished he understood her more. It was easy last year, since all they had to do was look at each other to understand. Now, everything about her was clouded, like there was something missing about her.

He stopped in front of her room, and leaned against the door as it opened. He walked over to her bed, and placed her on it. He pulled the covers underneath her, and placed it over her body. He leaned in a bit closer and looked at her neck, and touched it slightly. She twitched in response, and stopped for fear of hurting her. He sighed and cupped her cheek, hoping she would return to what he called normal. He let go, and walked out of the room to let Marie sleep.

* * *

><p>Yay.<p>

As you can see, Marie gets fatigued more than usual. The power that she had last year actually improved her stamina, but since it was taken away, that stamina left to. Now, she has to work her way to not being fatigued quickly.

A lot of other things happened, too. Ryan is getting serious about looking for Marie, maybe he might find his way to her? Maybe during the next chapter…? =D

Also, Aura wants to see Axel. Will she? I think she might.

I also would like to add that somewhere in the near future chapters, a kiss shall appear! Though, it won't be involving Sora or Marie. Heck, I'll just tell you: It involves Aura. Tis shocking, but reasonable. Bad girls always kiss a guy before innocent ones.

**Shadow 1n2:**  
>LOL, Sora jealous is a funny sight. Yeah, I read about that. It sucks, but I'm sure they have their reasons. And thanks, I hope you liked this chapter!<p>

**grapejuice101:**  
>Thanks, and she is little by little. LOL, you might actually see him jealous later on. The necklace is important to her, and it is important to her memories. Let's hope she remembers when she gets it back!<p>

**SisterOfScarletDevil:**  
>Dirty minded! Haha, I actually made it out like that, so don't worry. I'm very perverted when I can be.<p>

**DaniPotterLovesGod:**  
>Haha, thanks! I glad you like it, and I hope you like this chapter.<p>

**Lvl-ZeR0:**  
>Thank you! I can't love food as much as I love video games, which reminds me, I'm getting a new XBOX soon. I'm super excited! Thank you so much, that means a lot to me. Ah, yes. The beginning. Almost everyone is dirty-minded here, cause they all thought of something dirty~<p>

**Dracula X:**  
>LOL. Yeah, right? I would give up then and there if I saw a thousand heartless.<p>

**XxKeyOfHeartxX:**  
>Haha, yes! It was meant to sound dirty, but they were just training and fighting. And thank you, I tried very hard on it, since it was suppose to sound intentional.<br>And yes, actually, you'll see some of Rira. I'm actually confused who Aura should be with, since some people have told me that Roxas is too much of a "light" character for her.

**TheEpicBlueNinja:**  
>LOL, it's okay! I wanted everyone to think dirty. :3 and you might be right! Marie could be falling in love all over again! And thank you, I really appreciate that. I try to be strong, but it's hard sometimes.<p>

**dracula-key:**  
>Thank you! And yes, Sora will care for Marie no matter what!<p>

**InuyaKoneko:**  
>LOL, thanks! Oh, I look forward to seeing that! Unfortunately, Marie doesn't and will not be seen in a uniform. I have other plans for her instead.<p>

**starlightmint72:**  
>Thanks! I try to make this story original. Yes, I've been trying to make more, but time is very hard to keep up with. And cool! I would love to be of help if you decide to go with it. XD<p>

Yes, Axel is very troubled with everything involving Aura and Roxas. Though I think that will somewhat addressed in the next chapter or so.

Hmm, well I don't think there is. Part of the power she received from KH was the ability to seal and open doors willingly. Now that she doesn't have that ability, she's completely useless unless someone controls her.  
>Oh, sorry about the link. I'll make sure that I re-check the links before I post them, so that they're working. Haha, and true, it is a weird name. But I looked it up, and Mario is the male name for Maria or Marie. I just went with it.<p>

Yeah, Ryan is never introduced mainly because I had to tweak him in so that he was added. So, maybe your ideas woud've been right if I hadn't added him in. He's not important just yet, but he will be in later chapters, since he is the vital link for Stella and Dante's awareness to everyone.

You're right, dressing as a guy is annoying, and it's too much of a hassle. I wanted Marie to do that, but I feared her being too mary-sueish if she was let in when Mulan had to dress up as a guy. The necklace T_T it is forgotten in the land of dragons. But I think having it be left behind will trigger something for Marie.

Yeah, you're right. Kingdom Hearts is very confusing, and it's not a cake-walk. Stella has some difficulty handling it, and it's taken her 15 years to figuring out the basics.

Marie was never one to swear, but also, I don't like using swear words in my stories. I might use them on msn or replies, but not profusely. Plus, it makes it safe for everyone to read, and gives Marie a boost in her personality. You can tell she's a very well-mannered girl.


	16. A farewell to an everlasting friendship

**Marie's casual wear:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**OMG. YOU GUYS! ** A lovely person by the name of **TheSteelFlameAlchemist** on drew me this **awesome sauce** drawing of Aura! Words cannot express how I feel! I've literally printed this out and hung it on my wall where I draw my drawings! **CHECK IT OUT, MENG:**

www**[dot]**5ds-rabid-fangirl**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/gallery/#/d4fxbwn

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen<strong>  
><strong>ଓ<br>A farewell to an everlasting friendship**

I tossed around in my sleep, and I grunted when I was struggling to find a comfortable position. I growled, slammed my hands on the bed, and decided to get up. I had a good sleep, but I wanted to sleep even more. I don't know how I got in my bed, but I was pretty sure that Donald, Goofy and Sora helped me here. I don't really want to know _how _they did it, though.

_Beep. Beep._

Oh, well at least I beat the clock. I turned the button off, and got up. I lifted my hair when I looked at the mirror, and I noticed that the necklace I had was still missing in Mulan's world! Oh no! Can I still get it back? Ugh, probably not. Knowing Donald, he practically teleported us to the new world.

Great.

Well, I guess we could always visit when we're restocking or something, there's no way I'm going back home without that necklace. I sighed, and ran to the bathroom to get ready for the next mission. The last time I saw Beast was at Hollow Bastion, and he was fighting for Belle. She was one of the seven princesses of heart, right? So was Kairi... I wonder how she was doing. I bet she misses Riku and Sora. I wonder what my parents are doing…

**ଓ  
>Eli and Leah<strong>

As they entered the house, Eli noticed something was wrong; it was too quiet. Leah dropped her bag on the couch, and walked to the kitchen. The dishes that she asked Ryan to clean were still dirty in the sink, and she tilted her head. Ryan wasn't one to disobey his parents, so she wondered if something was up.

"Ryan!" ordered Eli, but no answer. Leah quickly looked at Eli, and he immediately ran upstairs to check on his son. She followed close behind, and feared for the worst. What if something happened to her baby, or worse, what if _someone_ kidnapped her baby! Eli stomped on the stairs, and hoped that if Ryan were in the house, he would get a long lecture. He passed by a room that none of them talked about while Ryan was home, and that was Marie's room. Leah stopped before passing it, and noticed something odd about it. She squinted her eyes, and noticed scratch marks near the handle of the door. Her eyes widened, and she reached down in her pocket to look for the key of the room.

Eli burst open Ryan's room, and started breathing deeply when he scanned it. It was still a messy room, as it was practically left untouched from when he and Leah left. He walked around carefully, and approached the bed area. He scanned the bedside table, but found nothing of importance. His eyes peered over to the bed, and there he saw a white piece of paper full of writing. Eli gulped, and feared the worst himself.

Leah scanned Marie's room, and coughed a bit since there was a good amount of dust in it. She waved her hand in the air to fan it out, and proceeded to look around. Everything was still in place, but something caught her attention; the present box that she and Eli placed in her room was gone. That present was supposed to surprise Marie when she got home that day, but she never did…

She walked over to the bed, and sat down on it. She placed her hands on her knees, and sighed when she looked at the floor. A look of sadness filled her face, and she dropped her shoulders. Being in the room of her niece brought back so many memories that were filled with happy and tender moments, one of them being her baby brother's wedding.

She looked up at the ceiling, and squinted her eyes so that it would prevent her from crying. She really missed those two, and she wondered if they were even still alive. It was hard to tell, since there was no one to announce their death, whereas Trinity's death was announced almost immediately. **[1]**

That was something Leah never wanted to see, no matter how much she and Trinity disliked each other. Seeing her sister's lifeless body in the coffin made her unable to breath for a good moment. It was too overwhelming, and Leah cried all night. She did note to Eli that something was off about her body, or rather, that she sensed something off about it. Eli told her she was just denying the fact that her sister was actually gone, but Leah still thought something was off.

Eli's footsteps were getting closer, and Leah composed herself. He passed the room at first, but when he noticed it was open, he walked towards it. "Why are you in Marie's room?"

"The present we left in here is gone," she replied, voice shaky from those previous thoughts. Eli noticed, and he walked into the room and sat beside her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and comforted her while kissing her cheek, and she noticed a letter in his hand. "What's that?"

Eli sighed, he didn't want to make his wife even more sad, but he had to tell her. "It's from Ryan; he ran away."

"_What!_" she sharply said. Her breathing became irregular, and she snatched the letter from his hand. She skimmed through the letter, and she was on the verge of crying immediately. She couldn't believe it…

_Dear mom and dad,_

_You lied to me. You hid the fact that I had an aunt, uncle and cousin who lived here. I had to snoop around after hearing some girl from my school talk about her, and when I found more about her I eventually found the truth. I know about Marie._

_I'm beyond angry, but I know I'll calm down when I find my cousin. She's out there somewhere, probably hurt or starving or something. When I find her and come home, we'll all talk about this. Family don't keep secrets from each other._

Eli and Leah stood quiet as they stared at the paper, not really knowing what to say. Leah looked away, she wiped a tear that was close to forming, and she tried breathing deeply. Eli was beyond disappointed, but he wasn't really angry. It was never him to get angry, even towards his son. He looked at the paper again, and noticed another line of Ryan's writing.

_P.S I went into the room that was always closed. It's Marie's, huh? I took the present that was on her bed, and I'm going to give it to her._

Eli gasped, and Leah looked at him. She was still in shock, and sad about her son running away, but she was concerned about her husband. "What's wrong, honey?"

"He took the present. If he finds her, Marie will know we're not her parents!"

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

I walked over to the main control room, and saw Sora pushing some buttons, while Donald and Goofy were walking around. I walked over to the spikey kid, and leaned against his table. He looked up, and seemed a bit flustered about something. I raised my eyebrow to this, but didn't question about it. There was a lot going on about him, but this was probably _normal_ compared to everything else.

"Thanks for bringing me to my room," I said as I placed an arm around the other. "I've been feeling so tired lately, I think it has something to do with my powers."

"Are you feeling okay now?" he asked, noticing the worry in his voice. He didn't even seemed interested about my powers since he went straight to asking about my health. I figured as much, and I smiled. I shrugged at him, and chuckled lightly. To be honest, I was okay now, but who knows when this could happen again.

"I'm fine. I'm busier with figuring out how to talk to Stella again," I chuckled. Sora gave me a confusing look, and I gasped lightly. He didn't know who Stella was, even after all this time. I smiled at him; it was more than time to tell him about her. Not just him though, I should tell Donald and Goofy. "I guess I should tell you guys about Stella."

As expected, the three boys gathered around Sora's table, and they all looked at me. I sighed; I'm surprised I kept this a secret for a long time. I looked at them, and took a deep breath. "So, Stella is the name I gave Kingdom Hearts. She sounds like a girl, and she's too vague for her own good. She's been helping me with this power of mine…well, the power I _did_ have."

"Gwarsh, we knew you had the power of kingdom hearts, but why'd you wait till now to tell us?" asked Goofy. I guess I was still a little self-conscious, and I thought they would think I was crazy or something. I told them that, and they started laughing. Sora wiped a tear from his face, and I lowered my eyes, they're all so dramatic. Geez.

"A voice isn't important compared to actually having the power," assured Sora. I laughed a little after hearing this, since he was actually right. Donald and Goofy also assured me that they'd support me no matter what, since I was part of the team. I smiled at this; I _am_ part of the team.

"Well, I thought I'd fill you in on her." My expression suddenly turned gloomy. "I haven't been able to talk to her since she took my powers away, so it's been a while."

Sora got up from his seat, and patted my shoulder. I looked at him, and he gave me a big, genuine smile. He told me that I was smart, and that it would all come back to me. I giggled; Sora was such a great friend. Donald quaked, and suggested that we leave immediately, or we'd fall behind. We all nodded, and we sat at our seats. We powered up the ship, and prepared to go through the gate that stood before us.

**ଓ**

We all stared at the screen, and Sora scratched his head. The world we were floating in front was completely weird looking. A giant castle was present, and a lot of greenery. Geez, is this where Beast lived? It was probably haunted or something, and if that was the case…

Man, I really hate scary stuff. I really hope I don't run into a scary ghost. Better yet, I really hope I don't run into _Oogie Boogie._ That sack of icky bugs really creeps me out.

Sora pushed the gas pedal, and drove the ship so that it could land in this world. Despite the isolating scenery, the castle looks beautiful. Ooh, maybe we'll meet Belle!

The ship landed lightly on the land below us, and Sora turned it off. I was the first to take off my seat belt, and I ran outside to see how this world actually looked like inside. It was nighttime, and everything looked so…_gloomy._ I dropped my shoulders, but then I spotted the huge while castle in the middle. My eyes widened, and I squealed. Hey, what if prince charming lived here with Beast? Okay, I couldn't control it. I ran faster than the speeding light towards the castle, and I heard Sora calling out my name. I turned around after, and they were running a little ways behind. I looked ahead, and I stopped near the stairs.

I hate stairs, but prince charming might be waiting! I ran up, and when I reached the door I opened—or more like fatally ripped—it. I slowed down when I reached down though, since the inside of the castle looked gloomy! I sighed, and dropped my shoulders. Donald and Goofy walked inside, and Sora, who was the last to come inside, closed the door. We were standing in the middle of the main entrance, and Sora looked around.

"Hey, what is this place?" he asked. Donald looked around in awe, and called the castle huge. Goofy pointed out the gloominess, and I was glad that I wasn't the only one that noticed. We stood in silence for a moment, and then all of a sudden, a loud roar spread across the place. Donald quacked in surprise, and I covered my head, hoping the celling wasn't going to fall or something.

"Hey, don't ya recognize that voice?" asked Goofy. I sure don't, and I sure don't want to recognize it. The roaring noise was heard again, and Sora placed a finger on his chin while thinking.

"Hey! That's the Beast!" he exclaimed happily. The Beast…? Oh right, I forgot Beast was a…Beast.

Um, well, hm. You know, my mind has been a bit _hazy_, so I wasn't always thinking straight. Yeah, that's it. I shook my head, and I heard Goofy say that we should check on him. He was right, Beast would probably be glad we came to visit. I think. Well, as we stood standing silent, Sora gasped, and I looked at him. He pointed at something behind me, and when I turned around, we spotted a heartless running into a small room to the far right.

"Let's go!" I said, taking out my keyblade. Sora, Donald and Goofy ran towards the room, and I followed behind.

Donald peered through the door, and said there was nothing. I sighed, and willed my keyblade away. Goofy, Sora and I walked in, and noticed that _nothing_ was in the room save for a **glowing** red rose. Wait, what?

"Bwak!" shouted Donald. A heartless appeared in front of him, and Sora pulled out his keyblade. I did the same, and soon enough more heartless appeared. Goofy and Donald prepared for battle, and I scanned the area. There were many shadows, but they weren't hard to get rid of, so this battle wasn't going to be hard.

I ran over to attack a small group of them, and Sora handled some by himself. Donald and Goofy worked together, with the latter protecting the other. I swung my keyblade with more than necessary effort, and got rid of one of the shadows. I sighed; this is going be a long fight for me.

**ଓ  
>Aura<strong>

Aura stood straight, like a soldier paying his full attention to his captain. Riku managed to find the location where Axel currently had a mission, and it was at Hollow Bastion. She sighed, that place was sacred to Marie, so she had to lay low and not purposely destroy everything in her sight if reason was given. She took a deep breath, and created a dark portal leading to that world.

She walked through it slowly, and examined the surrounding area; no one was in sight. She figured the people that Marie was close with were busy doing important things, _whatever that was_.

She walked around the town, but then she suddenly bumped into something tall and hard. She grunted, and rubbed her shoulder as she looked up; a certain figure stood in her way, and he was quite the brooding blonde. Aura smirked, and watched as the man turned around.

They didn't say anything to each other, and the man just stared…as if he was looking deep within her. She scoffed, and placed her hands on her hips. "If you're done staring, then move."

He took a while to hear, and when he did, he walked away. It was typical from what Aura saw in Marie's memories, and to think she had a crush on the guy. What was his name? Oh right, it was Cloud. She never told anyone, since she fell in love with Sora, but she had a crush on the tall blonde. Aura couldn't figure out why though, since he was nothing special.

She shook her head, and walked further into the town. She passed the bailey, and remembered when she saved Marie's hide when fighting Xaldin. He had gotten much stronger, which was why she began training with Riku. She couldn't let those backstabbers get stronger, and she wanted to pound every single one of them.

Then Axel popped up into her mind, and the status of their friendship. She hoped Riku was right in telling her that Axel was here, since she really wanted to just sit and talk. She started walking cautiously, making sure not to run into unwanted trouble. She listened in on her surroundings, and started hearing some mumbling noises. She walked closer to where Marie was ambushed by Xaldin, and noticed two black hooded figures. One of them was obviously the redhead named Axel, and the other took a while to figure out. She focused on his body, but then he let down his hood; it was Demyx.

Aura raised her eyebrow, since when did Demyx and Axel go on missions together? She found this very odd, but she wasn't interested in prodding into the matter. As much as she was pissed at the members, she had a soft spot for Demyx and all that he taught her, so she couldn't bring herself to hurt him. How was she going to do this, then? It was then that she heard them speak.

"I think I'll check out Destiny Islands," suggested Axel, who stretched his arms high into the hair. Demyx kissed his teeth, and looked around the place, seeing if everything was in order.

"Whatever. I'm going to report back, since there's nothing here to threaten that girl to come with us," he replied, flinging his hands around and exaggerating every motion of it. He opened up his portal, and walked through it. Aura noticed this, and took it as a chance to jump Axel while she had the chance. When Demyx left for the portal, it closed, and Aura silently ran towards Axel.

What she hadn't anticipated, was that he already called up his portal. She continued to run, and for some reason her body wasn't responding to her. She decided to push him into the portal, and deal with the situation while at destiny islands.

Axel heard light footsteps approaching, but before he could do anything, he felt a force push him into his portal. He felt thin, but muscular arms wrapped themselves around his waist, and all his mind drew were blanks.

**ଓ**

The sounds of waves and seagulls squawking filled the ears of two nobodies lying on the uneven sandy floor. The sound of the water rushing towards the shore, and quickly pulling back reminded Aura of Marie, Sora, and Riku. Was she really at Destiny Islands?

She quickly got up, and shook her head; this was no time to be thinking about those kinds of things! Axel was still lying on the floor, and she willed out her keyblade and pointed it at him.

"If you listen to what I have to say, I promise I won't hurt you," she said with a slick and threatening voice. She couldn't lower her guard with him, due to previous encounters. She wished she could, but everything was turning more difficult by the minute. Axel slowly got up from his position on the floor, and placed his hands in the air to express his surrender. He had no intention on hurting her, but he was surprised she was the one who pushed them towards his portal. He turned around, and stared straight into her eyes. The same Aura that he knew back then appeared before him, and there was a pain stinging him in his body.

_Axel __stopped and looked at the girl and smirked. "By the way, the name's Axel. Got it memorized?"_

"I won't hurt you, I promise," he said as he lowered his arms. He analyzed her face, and it changed suddenly. Her eyes lowered, and she appeared to be _sad_, something he thought he would never see in her. He had to ask, though. "What…what's wrong?"

She looked at him, and she placed her keyblade away. She took a step forward, and sighed. This meeting…was not going to be happy. She had to say her piece, her farewell. The friendship that she had with him needed to end for both their sakes…and their mentality, since she could never bring herself to _destroy _Axel. Memories flashes in her head, and as they passed through every single one of them, Aura really wanted to cry.

_She shook her head, and looked at Axel. "My name is... Merixa."  
>Axel started to laugh. "Sorry, it's just... your name is lame."<em>

This was it, the end to their friendship. First, she wanted to know some things, and she wasn't going to leave until every question was satiated. She wanted to know how he was doing, how he was holding up, and what he thought of her now that they were enemies. She looked at him. "How are you…?"

She gave him a smile—albeit lopsided and weak—and he was finding it oddly comforting given the situation they were in, but he didn't care. He took a small step forward, and she continued to smile.

He smiled back. "I'm…doing alright, I guess. You know how it is: mission, mission, and mission." He stared at her, and noticed that her smile still stayed, so he decided to ask in return. "What about you?"

"I have a more complex boss, so my missions are always different, you could say," Axel chuckled, and she giggled along with him. He was finding her behaviour odd and out of place, but he didn't care. It brought back the sweetest of memories; ones that he cherished dearly.

_"What? Can't I be worried about my friend?" he asked, slightly annoyed. "Or am I not your friend?"  
>Merixa raised her eyebrow, and walked towards the door. She stopped and turned around to face Axel as she smiled. "Well, friend, let's go get ourselves a treat."<em>

"Axel…" she stopped as she looked down. She couldn't bring herself to ask any more questions, since there was just one question in her mind gnawing her to say. She placed a hand in her chest, and she realized how different she was acting right now. Was it because she was _scared_ of losing Axel? That was a possibility, since he was something more of a friend. Axel noticed her shift, and he was starting to worry about her, however odd that sounded. He had no emotions, so why did it always feel like he did have them with Aura _and_ Roxas? Aura sighed, and looked at him. "What will happen to us? We're enemies, and at some point during this trip, we'll have to fight each other. I can't bring myself to do that."

Now he understood; was she expressing concern over their differences? He always thought about it, but he never wanted to imagine fighting with her. She was special to him, and still was to this day. He needed time…for what, though, was the question. He was busy trying to get rid of Sora so that Roxas would come back, and then they both would run away with Aura. There would be no care in the world, and they would all be free from a controlling environment.

"I can't fight anything that I'm connected to, so I just have to…"

"Cut the connection?" he asked, knowing where she was going with the whole idea. He didn't want to believe in it, but maybe it would help a little for the day they would have to fight each other.

_"I see... in that case," Merixa replied. "I want you to call me Aura from now on."  
>"...What?" Axel asked. "You can't change your name you know, or else the superior will get mad."<em>

"You know, both yours and Roxas' room are still there," he said, looking up into the sunset sky of Destiny Islands. Although Aura was never a proper member, she was still valued…even if that reason was ill. She was curious how everyone felt or thought after she and Roxas left. She looked at him, and voiced this question.

"Well, Xigbar and Demyx still laugh about the old days, and Demyx feels proud for being your teacher or something," he replied with a small laugh. Aura chuckled, and couldn't help but think of those days. She still felt sad about Zexion, but she knew he was never coming back. She stopped looking at Axel, and looked out into the ocean. The soft waves filled her ears, and she smiled gently at it.

"It was always tragic with us," she said, still looking at the ocean. "Whatever I wanted, I never got. Whatever I did get were always bad things, like now. I'm sorry, Axel."

Before she could go on, she was pulled into a tight embrace. Her eyes widened a bit, but she relaxed, and her arms tightly wrapped around Axel. They both had to be brave, and she wished things could have gone differently, but she knew everything around her turned tragic. It was her destiny.

_"So where you headed?"  
>"Olympus Coliseum," she said. "Why?"<br>"I'll come with you," he said. "I finished up my work, and I was gonna sleep but... I guess you're a bit more important."_

As the hug lasted, memories poured into their minds, and all they could do was smile. Everything had an ending, and sadly, this was it for their friendship. No matter what Axel wanted, she couldn't go along with it. She couldn't kill Sora just so that Roxas would come back, since that would break Marie's heart even if she couldn't remember.

_I'm writing to you, because I can trust you. You've been such a great friend, and I'm going to miss you so much._

Things couldn't go back to how they were. She couldn't get back Roxas, she couldn't stop the eventual fight between her and Axel, and she couldn't stop the never-ending pain filling her body. Her life was set before her, and it was filled with tragic, war and possible death.

_I wanted to tell you, that you were always my sanctuary, the one person who always made time for me…_

She eventually pulled away from the hug, and she looked at Axel with a pained expression. Nothing hurt more than forcibly ending a relationship, all for the cause of inevitable fate of war. She was saying farewell to what seemed like an everlasting friendship, and she was saying it in person, and not on a piece of paper like that time.

_"Those memories will always be with me, and they'll never leave. However, those days..."  
>Now they're nothing but...Nameless days."<em>

Days that had no number, no name…just days filled with the utmost memories of better times. It was fun while it lasted, but it ended. Whether or not that ending was finite remained. She sighed, and looked at the ocean again. The slight wind pushed her hair to her left, and the soothing sound of waves made her feel at peace for some odd reason.

Maybe…she was happy to end things with Axel civilly, and not with blood on her hands. She looked at Axel, who had been looking at who the whole time, and smiled for the last time, "Until we meet again, my dear friend."

Axel nodded, and smiled as he created his portal. He slowly walked through it, and turned around to look at Aura one last time. Maybe one day he, along with Aura and Roxas, would be able to sit atop the clock tower and eat one last ice cream…before their inevitable doom.

**ଓ  
>Ryan<strong>

Ryan sailed the boat towards the pier, and got off to tie it to the pole. He was on the small island that all the kids went to, such as Tidus, Wakka, Selphie, Kairi, and even that boy Riku. Once he tied his boat, he got up to notice a girl standing near the shore. She was wearing blue and black, and Ryan raised an eyebrow. She had brown hair and a tanned complexion, but Ryan didn't notice this; the girl he was staring at was pretty, and he felt himself automatically walk towards her.

As he walked up to her, he noticed how she was completely out of it. He tilted his head, and thought that maybe she was sad or something. He was lucky though, since he arrived he would be able to soothe the girl with his unrivaled mastery of flirting, _from what he thought_. The girl blinked, as if returning to surface. She looked up, and created a portal. Ryan's eyes widened, and stood still as the portal widened. Where was she going? He thought. He shook his head, this was it! This was his key to finding Marie. If she really wasn't on Destiny Islands, then maybe she was somewhere else. Heck, maybe this girl was the one who kidnapped Marie.

He had nothing to lose, and in an instant, he started running towards the brunette girl. He was gaining speed, and he knew he was risking a lot by over-exerting himself, but it needed to be done. The girl finally took notice, but it was too late to do anything as he pushed her towards the portal. He grabbed onto her shoulder, and she gasped while they were brutally forced towards the other side.

Once on the other side, both the brown-haired girl and Ryan landed harshly on the cement floor. He grunted when he landed, and took deep breaths before doing anything else. When he was all right, he got up slowly, and looked around. Everything was different, and he knew he was no longer in Destiny Islands, "Whoa…"

As he turned around, however, he was met with a weapon to his face, and he raised his hands up in protest. He feared the worst, and looked at the person wielding the odd-looking key weapon. When he saw who it was, he gasped. The girl who he pushed was glaring at him, and he could almost physically feel the burn of that glare.

"Who are you?"

* * *

><p><strong>[1]<strong> Remember this! it is important for the story with Stella and her husband!

I kind of feel like that last bit ruined the otherwise melancholy feel between Aura and Axel. Meh.**  
>I've got a question for you all:<strong>

**Who do you think Aura should be with? Riku or Roxas?**

This just might affect the story!  
>…that, or the fact that I'm torn between the two for Aura. They're both perfect but I can't choose!<p>

On a different note, **I recently turned 19 on November 6. **Mind you, I had no money, so I wasn't able to get wasted like I had planned.** MY INITIATION INTO ADULTHOOD WAS RUINED. GARRRRR.**

Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter. Sorry for the long wait, but I made this chapter longer than it needed to be. I hope that makes up for lost time. Durrr.

* * *

><p><strong>Lvl-ZeR0:<strong>  
>LOL. Now I know not to get into that affair of yours. XD and you know what, my sister got me an XBOX, but she forgot to buy a video game with it. OTL. She didn't buy a new one since it's too much money, so she got it refurbished. It looks brand new though. XD<p>

Eh, well if you're like 15-17 years old the hormones just explode like…well, they explode like something that would explode easily. As they say, "damn teenage hormones." XD though, I would give anything to be 15 again. I can drink legally now, but I don't like the concept of reaching 20.

**Shadow 1n2:**  
>I did have an awesome Halloween, thank you! I went out with my sister and her daughter to go trick-or-treating. It was so much fun! I sadly did not see anyone dress up from any of those things you listed. DX<p>

Hmm, I wonder how you'll hand Canadian weather? It gets cold to the point where you have to wear Michelin style clothing.

**grapejuice101:**  
>Thank you! Unfortunately, Mulan still has the necklace, but when Marie gets it back, it could lead her to remember. Beast's castle is also where Sora will find a truth! So stay tuned.<p>

**SisterOfScarletDevil:**  
>Yeah, I fixed that. DX<br>I knew something like that was going to happen, so I try not to write much about Sora's form. I hope that you won't see me write about wisdom form and have Donald show up chilling or something. DX

**TheSteelFlameAlchemist:**  
>Aren't I evil? :3<p>

I love messing with people's mind and getting all perverted like when I'm not actually. =S. Ah, yes. However, maybe it'll be better if she departs from it? Who knows! Sora is dense though, so he takes time to figure things out. XD **AND OMG, GHGHDFKLGHRBGFRNGUEH I JUST LOVE THAT DRAWING! IT'S JUST SO AMAZING AND I LOVE THE KEYBLADES AND AGHHHH—**I just really love it.

**Dracula X:**  
>Yes, let us march forward bravely! I can't wait, either. Though, I don't understand Japanese, so I can't wait for the English one! I don't have a 3DS though, so I'm forced to watch it on YouTube, just like every other game besides KH, KH2, and KH:RE:COM.<p>

**dracula-key:**  
>Haha, well it's nice to know you're not perverted like everyone here. :3<br>Haha, I kid, no one is perverted. It was fun writing it, and I thought I should switch things up. XD

**ChristmasTheKID:**  
>LOL. We're all so evil to our OCs. I'm so evil to Marie, but it's fun.<br>Hmm, that remains to be seen, I wonder too.

**guitarqueen136:**  
>Yes, I hope so, too! Maybe she'll notice his and question about it.<br>Whatever the case, I'm sure it'll be very touching. ='D


	17. Identity Crisis

**Dear Readers [or friends if I am allowed. ^_^;]:**

As you know, I'm in College taking a pretty heavy program. I don't have a lot of time to myself, and whatever time I do have I usually spend it on studying or homework or doing some drawings [which are easier and faster than writing a story to be honest].

I wanted to tell you guys that I **am off school campus until January 9th!** I really hope I pass my classes, because if not, my parents will literally take any electronic means from me. So no T.V, no video games, and no computer. DX

That's all I wanted to say, hope you guys are doing well!

**Marie's casual wear:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen<strong>  
><strong>ଓ<br>Identity Crisis**

"Please, man! Don't kill me with your key sword thing!"

The young boy pleaded against the brunette that stood before him. She was furious and wanted answers why he even pushed her into her _own _portal. Ryan was only trying to find a way out of Destiny Islands, but if he had known that the girl he pushed was carrying a weapon, he would've just stayed home.

"I'll only hurt you if you don't tell me why you pushed me." She glared at him, and he was getting more scared by the minute. She didn't care about the fact that he came through the portal with her—that will be his own problem—but pushing was a huge no-no for her. He gulped, and clutched his duffle bag, hoping that she wouldn't slice him in half.

"I-I wanted to find my cousin!" he raised his hands in the air, defending whatever he could from the scary girl. She lowered her keyblade, but continued to glare. There was something off about the boy, but she didn't want to put the effort into finding out.

"Hmph, and you pushed me into my portal because of that?" she glared hard, and the boy only whimpered. He never met a girl this scary, but he had to stay on his ground.

"M-maybe you heard of her? H-her name is Marie Devon," he said, although barely in a whisper. Aura gasped, and her eyes widened. Did she hear right? Did the boy actually say what he said?

"Marie Hill? I hope you're not talking about the one that I know," she replied while crossing her arms. Ryan slowly reached for his duffle bag, while also eying the scary brunette, hoping she wouldn't kill him then and there. When he grabbed what seemed like a photo, he gave it to her. Aura took the picture rather roughly, and stared at it intently. The girl in the picture was _indeed_ Marie, but she was young—about two years old. When Aura flipped the picture, the words, "mommy, daddy, and Marie at the beach," appeared.

"I'm guessing these are her parents," she said, sounding a bit sad about it. Seeing Marie's parents made it even more real that she was nothing more than a Nobody. She had no parents, no siblings—nothing. Ryan cleared his throat, and Aura looked at him, bringing her out of her daze.

"No, those people are her aunt and uncle; they adopted her after her parents went missing. That's why you probably know her as Marie Hill." This was new to Aura. She thought she knew everything about Marie, but apparently not. Ryan explained that Marie was kept hidden, along with her parents, from him, and he packed up his stuff to find her. Ryan reached for his duffle bag again, and took out a small box that was previously wrapped, and handed it to her. Aura opened the box, and two pictures along with a letter appeared in it. She read the letter.

_Dear Eli,_

_For whatever reason I had to leave, I am terribly sorry. I can't disclose the details, but know that I won't be coming back home. I know how mom felt when she had to leave, and I can actually forgive her now, because she did something honorable. Dante said he'll miss you and Leah, and he was overjoyed knowing his sister was marrying you. I wish I could go to dad's grave and tell him goodbye, but I leave that to you. Everything that happened to us is something I'll always treasure, and the highlight of it all was the birth of my little angel. It pains me so much that I'll never be in her life, so I ask you: please adopt and take care of Marie. Everything that we went through…It was a thrill, and I had fun. However, it stops here, as I have things to attend to. You may never find out what they are, but know that I am truly grateful. I may never see you again, and it hurts me to know it is true. Never forget that I will always love you._

- Yours Truly,

_Stella Marie Devon_

"Stella!" exclaimed Aura. Could it be? Was it possible that the Stella that wrote the letter was the Stella of Kingdom Hearts? Aura looked at the box, and started taking deep breaths as she reached in to get the photos. As she grabbed one, she slowly flipped it over, and she started breathing normally. It was a picture of a man with light to medium brown hair, and soft looking green sea eyes. The name **Dante Devon** appeared on the bottom of it. She shook her head, and quickly grabbed the other photo. This photo made Aura gasp; the woman who stared right back at her was the same woman as…

_"It's nice to finally meet you, Aura."_

Her eyes widened in surprise. She was so stunned to see that the woman in the photo looked _identical_ to the Stella she just met, even the name at the bottom of the picture was **Stella Marie Hill**. She glanced over to the other photo—the one of the man—and shifted her attention from one to the other.

It was too much to take in, but the two had physical similarities to Marie. She looked a lot more like her father though, minus the blonde hair and pale skin. Aura sighed deeply, and looked at Ryan. He had a resemblance to Marie as well, although slightly. She couldn't believe it all, but the photos were right there.

"So, can you help me?" Ryan asked. Aura bit her lip, as she was not sure if she _should_ help. If she did, that could lead into many personal problems that she would rather not get herself involved. On the other side, would it benefit Marie to know that she has a family member travelling with her? Or would it cause her strife?

Maybe she was better off bringing him to DiZ. She would have to pass Riku though, and he was from the same island, so maybe they knew each other. She took a step towards the area where DiZ was, and placed a finger on her chin. She turned around, and smirked at the boy, "Well, if you're Marie's cousin…you'll have to get approval by a man who was her guardian for a while."

"O-okay, sure! Lead the way!" he said enthusiastically. He lifted his duffle bag over his shoulder, and waited for Aura to start leading the way. She gave him a weird look; he definitely seemed weird with a duffle bag. She shook her head; this was no time to be judging.

"Well then, _cousin_, let's get going." She started walking towards Twilight Town's mansion, with a very nervous Ryan walking right behind her. As he started walking, he couldn't help but feel really motivated. This girl—Aura, was going to help him find his long-lost cousin. The only thing that really confused him now was—

"Wait, why did you call me cousin?"

**ଓ  
>Marie <strong>

It was taking a while to clear the room, since so many heartless appeared. I was wrong in saying that this fight wasn't going to be hard. Heck, I was struggling with the many shadows that appeared; who knew so many could appear all at once?

"Aww, come on! Enough already!" shouted Sora. I sighed, why can't we get a break? Even if it's a very small one, I'd very much appreciate it. Donald shouted for help, and the door suddenly popped open. I gasped in fear, and hid a little behind the guys. When the familiar person—er, _Beast_ entered the room, I smiled. He looked very angry, and attacked all of the shadows in one fell swoop. They fell helplessly, and I sorta felt bad for them—I know I wouldn't want to be in Beast's line of fire.

After dealing insurmountable damage to the heartless, Beast looked towards us. He growled, and started stomping towards us. Sora raised his hand in a high five manner, and waited for the Beast to say hello, however—

He just brutally pushed Sora aside, and he yelped in surprised. He also pushed Donald and Goofy to the side, and they couldn't help but shout in surprise, Donald more or less shouted in anger. He didn't push me to the sides, but I was really annoyed how he just pushed his friends so angrily, so I had to say something, "Hey, what gives? Come on, Beast, that wasn't cool."

No response. He turned his attention to the glowing flower on the table, and picked it up. I took a closer look at him, and he looked somewhat…_possessed._ Sora, Donald and Goofy got up, and I walked a little ahead of them and stared at the door. What was going on with that guy?

"Gee, do you think he maybe forgot about us?" asked Goofy. Sora pointed out that there was a lot of heartless, so that maybe The Beast was on edge and Donald was just plain annoyed.

"Something's going on," I pointed out. Sora walked up towards me, and shook his head. There was something definitely wrong here, and I know it wasn't just my anxiety rising. Sora walked ahead of me, and signalled us to follow him. As we left the room, Donald spotted a woman atop the stairs. Goofy said it could have been Belle, and Sora suggested we go and look for her. He's right, she might know something about Beast and why he's behaving weirdly.

As we walked up the stairs, I couldn't help but notice the slight similarity this castle had to Hollow Bastion's castle. Thinking about it made me a bit sad though, I still had many questions to ask, and the people who I want to ask are no longer here. Still, I must proceed with finding out the answers that I can find, no matter how long it'll take. I looked over to Sora and the others, and they suddenly stopped. They looked at the door in front of us, and kept quiet. They leaned against the wall, and stood beside the door. We heard a voice—but it was muffled—and Sora pointed at it while Donald nodded.

Donald walked a few steps away from the door and then looked back at it. He folded his sleeves, and started running directly towards it. Sora called out his name, and Donald suddenly fell through the door, shouting at whoever why the door was opened. As we looked from the floor all the way up, we spotted the woman we were looking for: Belle.

"Oh! I'm so happy you're here!" she crouched down to hug Donald and looked towards us. She smiled that gentle smile of hers, and we smiled back. Donald struggled to get down, and Belle giggled as she let him down gently. Sora, Goofy and I walked into the room, and right off the bat Donald asked where the Beast was.

"Oh, he must be in the west wing. We don't talk like we used to," she replied. Sora asked her if something happened, and she assumed we were here to help her with it. Unfortunately, we were here for something else but Goofy still agreed to help her. It made sense, since we were already here. Donald got down to business and asked Belle why the Beast wasn't talking to her, and she confirmed my suspicion of him acting strange. She also told us that the only people who knew anything were locked up in the dungeon.

"Dungeon?" Sora asked. She told us that she wanted to help them, and she started to continue until Sora interrupted. "Wait, who locked who up?"

"The Beast locked up his servants."

What? Why would he lock up his servants? She couldn't answer that question, so Sora asked where the dungeon was. It was down the undercroft from the west wing, and we started making our way to there. It was very odd how Belle's room almost looked like mine, heck, even the bed was the same. The only difference was that my room was filled with a lot of child-like stuff, like stuffed teddies and beanie bag chairs. I know I never once complained about living with Ansy, because I was actually living in luxury. I had a great guardian, a fancy looking room, and friends I surrounded myself with. Yeah, I was kidnapped, but a lot of good came out from it. The only thing that was missing was the people of those days, and oh, how I wish they were here with me. I miss them dearly.

Well, aside from that, we ventured into the hallways. We walked to the other side of the wing, and while walking I noticed Sora staring at me.

"What is it?" I asked, turning my head into his direction. He suddenly became flustered, and I raised my eyebrow at this. He quickly looked away after, and my eyebrow just kept getting higher.

"You seem kinda sad," he replied. Gosh, was it that obvious that I was missing home? I couldn't help it, though.

"I am," I sighed, there's no use lying to Sora. It seemed like he knew when I was sad or mad, or scared when I try to hide it. it was amazing how much he could know about me within just a year, but something inside was telling me it was more than that. I smiled nonetheless. "This castle reminds me of Hallow Bastion, and how everything was normal back then."

He nodded in understanding. "That's how I felt, too. Everything was normal when I was back at home, but I can't think like that anymore. Everyone is relying on me, so I can't let them down."

"You're sense of justice is unrelenting, Sora." Sometimes…sometimes, I wish I were like him. I wish I were strong like him. I wish I could be constantly brave like him, and I wish I wasn't so afraid of the outcome of my future. I've always thought I was like him, but I think I was lying to myself. With the power of Kingdom Hearts, I thought I was this ancient warrior of sorts, so I took that persona and made it my own. Now that I don't have that power, I think I've lost sight of who I am.

Just who am I, now?

* * *

><p>Chapter seventeen, out!<p>

Glad I could be in the writing field, again. With so much work before finals, I had no time for anything. Now, I have all the time, so expect some overdue updates!

**Lvl-ZeR0:**Thank you!Actually, I gave the Xbox to my neighbor's child, since they didn't have the money to buy one. He's very happy with it now. I'll be getting the new Xbox hopefully, and SAINTS ROW 3 WITH IT! And no… I don't think I would want to try a donut sandwich…

Er… you okay?

**Dracula X:**Yeah, I really felt bad for Aura and Axel; they are best friends after all. Lol, so many people have been telling that Kairi should just be with Riku, but it would make sense I guess.

**dracula-key:**well, normally, she would. However, she's filled with so many questions that she doesn't have the time of day to look of Sora's neckline. I mean, she can't even stare at him for long before feeling weird that he's acting weird. But sooner or later she will notice, and this will be addressed in the story.

**grapejuice101:**Sorry for the late update! I had finals to finish. I'm glad you liked the chapter, I will assure you that the necklace is important to Marie. Moreover, it will be a key thing for her memory. Seeing Sora with it will trigger something for her, and thus her determination to get the necklace back.

**TheSteelFlameAlchemist:**LOL! What can I say, I really like it! yeah, it's said because they're like bros for life or something, but their fate is inevitable. I decided to add in a blonde moment, since it cannot go unnoticed that she is blonde and has not had a moment! It is unacceptable! I know, Ryan is in too deep, but he will survive!

**Shadow 1n2:**Not really, haha. The area I live in is full of old farts who hate everyone. DX Seriously? I would have loved to see pictures of that! I get so sad when they go away, too. Axel is one of the lost along with Xion, so he's not really dead. As for Demyx… I don't want to stray too far off the storyline, and I've already written out how Aura reacts to this, so I've actually have him dying. L I have not played those games, but I've seen videos of them, little big planet looks so cute!

**TheEpicBlueNinja:**Hmm, true. But Riku and Aura have a lot in common, surprisingly. XD

**DaniPotterLovesGod:**Haha, no love for Naminé, then? XD

**SisterOfScarletDevil:**Thank you anyways, I really need a beta to look over this story. DXThank you! That means a lot! Trust me, it's a hard decision, but I think I know where I wanna go with it. XD

**ChristmasTheKID:**Oh, I love ADVENTURE TIME! That show is le shizzzz. Thank you! I'm glad you made a da account, see you around!

**XxKeyOfHeartxX:**Yeah, I'm glad it did, I was going for a sad theme there. Ryan… he's gonna feel dirty when he finds that out about Aura. I mean, she straight out called him cousin, that has to make him think. But don't worry, nothing will go on between them, he's just a hormonal teenager who doesn't know what's going on. Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	18. Never throw out the furniture!

**Confirmed:**

Marie _will_ have a Tron outfit during the second visit! There is a second visit, I think. Oh, and as well as a pirate outfit.

I also wanted to say, that my breath was utterly taken away when I saw this magnificent and beautiful art of Marie and Aura by **AppleRawr27** on DeviantART. Please check out her pictures, they're all so amazingly awesome and cute! I'm making this a Christmas gift, and it's the most awesome one yet!

www**[dot]**applerawr27**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/#/d4je0x9

Also, help me out by reading my journal update on Dev!:

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/journal/#/d4jmyho

**Marie's casual wear:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eighteen<strong>  
><strong>ଓ<br>Never throw out the furniture!**

We walked towards a long hallway, and armoured statues lined up on both sides of it. We stopped mid-way and searched around. Belle told us that the undercroft was around here, but I didn't see anything of the sort. We walked a little ahead, but I stopped when I noticed a wardrobe randomly placed near the wall.

"Hey, guys," I said, looking at the wardrobe. The three of them looked towards me, and I pointed at the wardrobe. "Doesn't that seem out of place?"

"Hmm," thought Sora. He walked up to the wardrobe, and touched it. He then placed his palms on the side and started pushing. When he moved it all the way, he uncovered a door. "Here it is!"

Great, now that we found the door, we can find those serva—

"Do you _mind_!"

"W-what!" I said, surprised and stunned that a talking wardrobe was…well, talking. It hopped back into place, and I was still shocked. This place is definitely…_unique_. Sora placed a finger on his chin, and my guess was that he was thinking of a way to move the wardrobe without waking her. It was simple, though.

"Hey, just keep pushing her, and if she wakes up stop," I said. It was clear that by having her awake, she would never move, and we needed to get by. The only option was to push her without having to wake her up, and only then would be able to pass to the undercroft. Sora did what I said, and he leaned against the wardrobe while pushing her. She almost woke up mid-way, and Sora stopped abruptly. Everyone froze still, hoping she wouldn't fully wake up. She went back to snoring, and we all let out a long sigh. This was going to take a while.

**ଓ  
>Aura and Ryan<strong>

He stood silently and nervously as Aura walked into a different room. She had told him her name, but he couldn't help but look familiar to someone. He took a deep breath, and he heard the door open from the other side. He was standing in the basement of Twilight Town's old mansion, and he was hoping to get out of there to find Marie.

From the other side appeared Aura, who signalled him to walk behind her. He followed her orders, and he slowly walked into the room. It was dark, and the only light that produced was from a computer screen. A person was sitting in front of the computer screen, and another figure dressed in a black cloak leaned against the wall. Aura stood beside the dark figure, while Ryan stood at the centre of the room.

"So, you're the cousin of Marie?" asked the man sitting in front of the computer. Ryan responded with barely a whisper, and the man chuckled. He didn't know what to do, and all he _could_ do was glimpse back at Aura.

"Well, then, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with her?" Ryan looked back at the man, and he finally turned around from the screen. He was covered in red, and he was only able to see one of his golden eyes. Ryan shuddered a bit, noting how scary the man looked. He got up from the chair, and placed his hands behind him. He walked a little closer to Ryan, and chuckled a little more. "Aura will take you to her, but the journey will be quite difficult."

Ryan heard a slight scoff from the brunette, and he sighed a bit, too. He wasn't looking forward to travelling with a scary girl, but if it brought him closer to Marie, then so be it.

"Thank you, sir!" he said, staring at the man with determined eyes. Aura walked away from the shadowed man known as Riku, and towards Ryan. He looked at her, and nodded a little nervously.

"We can't go directly to where Marie is, since it might put you in danger," she reached in her pocket, and took out a pouch with munny in it. "Go around the town for a bit and see what you can buy, you'll need it."

He nodded, and left in a hurry. He didn't want to stay around any longer, and he kind of wanted to see what the world Twilight Town was all about. As he left, Riku came out of the shadows, and stood beside Aura. She crossed her arms, and smirked. "Does he bring back memories," she asked.

"Kind of, I've always seen him with Wakka and Tidus. I remember him having a huge crush on Selphie," replied Riku. As much as it was a surprise knowing that Ryan was Marie's cousin, he wondered if Marie knew. However, his guess was probably not. "Ryan was always in the hospital. I remember my mom telling me that he had to transfer to the hospital when he was a year old, and they didn't release him until after Marie was kidnapped."

"How inconvenient," Aura replied in a stoic voice. She was wondering if this was planned or truly an inconvenience, either way; Stella had some explaining to do.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

"And I was starting to get comfortable," said the wardrobe. She woke up from her sleep, but she wasn't angry or annoyed. She asked us why we were here, and Sora explained that Belle sent us. She was so thrilled knowing we were going to save her friends, and I smiled a bit. She apologized about earlier, and then she went on to saying something that caught my ear.

"I used to be human, you know," she said in a very proud voice, "Until the enchantress cast her spell."

Right after that, she told us that the Beast used to be a prince. Donald and Goofy totally flipped out, but I was smiling. I was right; there was a prince charming in this castle! Sora asked about the spell, and suddenly, the air got moody.

"It was a cold winter's night," said the wardrobe, getting in the mood of telling a story. I saw the boys lean in closer, ready to hear it. I was a little into it, but I was more concerned about the servants.

"And that's enough for now."

…huh? However, she didn't say anything. Uh, oh well. What matters now is the safety of the servants. Sora and the boys were obviously disappointed, but they knew what was important right now. They all jumped from their sad mood, and marched forward into the room. I walked a little behind them, and when they stopped, I looked around.

"This must be it," said Sora. Donald walked around the room, until he reached the middle of the room. A large door stood there, with two statues attached to it. Donald pressed his ears against the door, but something felt off. As soon as I heard a pinging noise, I looked up at the statues, and noticed its eyes glowing.

"Donald, watch out!" I shouted. One of the hands of the statue attempted to attack him, and then I felt my forehead burn up. I grabbed it, and heard Donald's quack. As I looked up at him, I saw a pink barrier around him. I gasped lightly; could this be another example of my power? As soon as the barrier went down, Donald quickly ran towards us. He flashed me a huge smile, and I sighed in relief.

"look out, here it comes!" warned Sora, who already had his keyblade out. Donald and Goofy took out their weapons, and I followed along. As soon as the guardian of the door swung his arm, two other heartless appeared. They were statue-like, but they didn't seem that difficult to beat.

"Sora, fight the door while I keep these heartless busy!" I said, waving my keyblade around. He looked back, and I could tell he wanted to say something like 'be careful', but I already know. He started attacking the main heartless, and I looked at the others. I gripped my keyblade tight, and I eyed them carefully. I had to see what I was dealing with, so all I did was block and dodge.

It swung it's arms around aimlessly, and then it floated and tried to attack me with the bottom part. When it repeated the process, I got a good sense of what I was dealing with. I raised my keyblade, and chanted the spell for fire. It hit the heartless, and I ran in for a couple of attacks. When it recovered, I jumped back and held the keyblade close to my face. It attacked once, and I was able to block it. It attacked again, and I rolled out of the way. I swung around with my blade, and I pressed the trigger down near the handle. The stars lit up, and they tossed themselves straight towards the heartless. It staggered a bit, and I took it as a sign to attack it some more. When I jumped back I chanted the spell for ice, and it broke off a piece of the heartless' arm.

I looked at Sora to see how he was fairing. Donald and Goofy were backing him up, which was good. Everyone needs to be safe, and that's my top priority. I shook my head; this is no time for dilly-dallying! I looked at the heartless before me, and I blocked a couple of it's attacks. My strength has depleted, but I know I'm quick and nimble enough to block and evade. After giving me an opening, I decided to finish off the heartless. I ran up to attack it, and jumped back quickly. I chanted about three spells; fire, ice and thunder at the heartless, and it was down to it's knees. I swung my keyblade harder than I could, and the thing broke into pieces. I sighed, just one more.

I pointed my keyblade at the door heartless, and fired ice at it. It growled loudly, and Sora came in to deliver a devastating blow. Donald came in after to fire up some spells, and I followed with another set of spells. The heartless attacked Goofy, but he blocked it off with his shield. Sora was dealing fast and powerful strikes to the heartless, and I decided to fire another round of my spinning stars. I pulled the trigger, and the stars came out like knives. It cut one of the arms of the heartless, and Sora was able to attack it some more.

There was another growl, and when I heard the last set of attacks, it made an even louder growl. A bright light shined, and a small, purple gas heartless appeared from the door. It passed Sora, and then it passed me. It disappeared in mid-air, and I could only raise my eyebrow in confusion; what was that? Regardless, the door returned to normal, and I managed to heal everyone up before going on.

"Thanks, Marie," said Goofy. I smiled as I nodded, and looked at the door. Was everyone behind it? If so, are they okay?

"I hope everyone's safe," said Sora. I looked at him, a little surprised that he was able to say what I was thinking. Of course, I should know by now that Sora is a little weird, so the things he does shouldn't surprise me. I grabbed his hand, and he looked at me.

"We won't know until we find out," I said as I smiled. He seemed a little confused, and to be honest, I did as well. I let go of his hand, and I looked away. "S-sorry."

He chuckled, and smiled back at me. What was that? Why did I just take his hand? I wonder if his weirdness is starting to rub off me. He started walking through the door, and Donald, Goofy and I followed along. When we entered the room, no one was there.

"Nobody's here," I said, a little worried about the servants. Donald seemed a bit sad, since he wasn't able to rescue anyone. Sora sighed, and then we heard a voice.

"Did someone say 'rescue'?" the voice said, both Sora and I gasped, and we looked around. Other voices kept being heard, and I was starting to panic a little. You don't think there are ghosts, right?

"Oh, but they look like nice folks to me," one voice said, and it was female. Goofy replied saying we are nice, and went one saying that we're they're friends. Sora also added in saying that Belle had sent us.

Then, suddenly, a clock, candelabra, and a teapot with a cup started moving. I was about to scream, but the faces on them started smiling. Amazing, they're like the wardrobe!

We walked in a little closer, and bent down almost to their level. Donald and Goofy were amazed, while Sora just stared. He smiled at them, and I examined them. "I'm Sora, this is Donald and Goofy, and she's Marie," he said, pointing at us.

A heard a group of gasps when Donald picked up the clock, and he started shaking it—much to the clock's displeasure. I chuckled, but then I saw the teapot and the little cup come by me. I looked at them, and gently picked up the cup. "Gosh, were you all affected by a spell, too?" I asked.

The clock finally stopped Donald's shaking, and looked at us. "Yes, that's right—you heard! It was the enchantress!"

Sora placed the teapot on top of a box, while I placed the little cup beside her. She sighed, and looked down at the floor. "It was a cold winter's night…an old beggar women came to the castle, and asked for shelter."

"But the master of this castle—the prince—"continued the clock, until he shouted at Donald to stop touching him. Donald placed him on the chair, and he continued with the story. He told us that the Beast turned the old woman away because she was ugly. The prince or the Beast was spoiled, selfish and cruel according to them, and the old woman basically told him not to judge a book by it's cover. He still refused to let her in, and she suddenly turned beautiful while placing a spell fit for a cruel heard—in other words, the Beast. She turned everyone into furniture for further punishing.

"Wow…that's quite a story," said Sora. It's horrible, to be honest, but beauty comes within, not the outside. It's just a shame that the Beast wasn't able to know that.

"Is there a way for us to help with the spell?" I asked, hoping there was a way. The candelabra said they knew how to get rid of the spell, but the Beast was being difficult with co-operation. He was acting weird, what with pushing Sora, Donald and Goofy around. The furniture wondered if the Beast was turned into a heartless, and I had to disagree.

"I'm sure he's still the Beast," I said, placing a finger on my chin. "No…It's more like he's brain-washed or something."

"But if the heartless are involved, it's a good thing we're here," added Sora. I nodded in agreement, and Donald suggested we go find the Beast. The candelabra jumped off the chair, and walked towards the door.

"Come with me, I know a shortcut!" he happily said. The clock, teapot and cup started following with Donald and Goofy, but Sora was standing still. I normally wouldn't be bothered, but something was telling me too.

"Something wrong," I asked, looking at him. I noticed he was looking at the floor, so I lifted his chin with my hands. He looked at me, and started getting flustered. I chuckled, and noticed how often he did that.

"I'm just thinking about last year," he said, which made me tilt my head in confusion. He looked at me, and started chuckling himself. "When I first met you…man, I don't know why I'm thinking about it at a time like this…but…I'm really glad the heartless didn't take you."

He smiled at me, and quickly joined up with the others. I stayed behind for a minute, just to take in what he said. _The heartless didn't take you_. You know what? I'm glad too, Sora.

I really am.

* * *

><p>Never throw out your furniture, indeed! You never know when they might speak. XD<p>

Well, isn't this interesting. Marie seems to be a little more open towards Sora, but she doesn't understand why. Are the locked memories returning to her? Hmm, who knows!

**grapejuice101:**

Haha, yeah finals are hectic. I love Belle, too. She seems like the more educated ones, and she's so kind. I hope you liked this chapter!

**dracula-key:**

I know, and you're right. I'm trying really hard to get her away from the whole damsel in distress thing. There will be some scenes where she's taken, but she's not all boo whoo about it, since she'll stay strong in those situations.

**SisterOfScarletDevil:**

You know, I'm actually confident on who I want Aura to be with. Some, or maybe a lot of people will be disappointed, but these two just have many things on common.

**Shadow 1n2:**

Haha, well they're not that hard to incorporate. The keyblades on the other hand…I'd be so frustrated to try and build one! Thank you, I hope so too! So far, I've passed three classes, I need to wait for my mark in the other two classes. I have three weeks off, too! Doesn't it feel great? Thanks, I'll be sure to write a story on Christmas eve to thank everyone!

**Dracula X:**

It does, I got nine classes for next year. D=

Moreover, thanks, I hope you liked this one!

**Lvl-ZeR0:**

Haha, it's a tradition now! You're right, a break is wonderful. I can finally breathe! I get sugar rushes, but I just laugh randomly all the way. XD Whoa… now you're really starting to make me worry. I know I'm not a hash brown, or green…. So it prompts me to say it again: you SURE you're okay?

**starlightmint72:**

Welcome back! Don't worry, I was busy with homework and finals to write more chapters, which will change now that I'm on break. Oh, I'd love to hear more about it. I get so pumped up hearing about other people's ideas for KH stories! I'm on almost every day, so don't be afraid to send it! It's not coming yet, but soon! You might be surprised, since Aura is stuck with three guys she likes. XD

Yeah, Aura will probably fight him with another member of Org13. However, it'll be hard for her, I know it. Ryan is going to be the protective brother, so you can bet he'll be eyeing Sora the entire time, especially since he's older.

You know, I was thinking about that. When everything is explained to Ryan, it'll be confusing, but I think it'll give him motivation to protect his baby cousin. As for Marie, finding her identity won't be shown until KH:3D comes out, because believe it or not, a piece of Marie is missing. XD


	19. A story and a young boy's arrival

I hate leaving people out of the loop, so I'll tell you now. I've already made small preparations for the next game, and started drawing out some ideas. Check it out!

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/The-other-Marie-275110266

**I want to wish each of you a happy and Merry Christmas. I hope you and your family stay safe and healthy, and I hope you guys get what you've been craving for on Christmas. Yous alls specials. XD**

**Marie's casual wear:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nineteen<br>ଓ  
>A story and a young boy's arrival<strong>

Ryan walked around the town, hoping to find something fun or see something interesting. All he really did see was a bunch of adults walking around. It wasn't the same as the islands, where only children roamed around the streets. He wasn't complaining, since it was kind of refreshing to see adults.

He came around an ice cream shop, and decided to have some. Ice cream was a personal favourite of his, so he wondered what kind of flavours they had. He walked up to the store, and sat on one of the stools they had there. A young man walked in from the back counter, and nodded at Ryan.

"Hey there, what would you like," the young man asked. Ryan looked up at the price board, and figured he'd get the cheapest ice cream, or a certain angry brunette would get angry. He looked at the prices and noticed the 'sea-salt' one was the cheapest, so he ordered it.

"Good call," he said, making his way to the back. "Everyone loves it."

As he came back with the ice cream, Ryan looked at it. It was a soft blue, and it looked good. He took it, and the man excused himself—saying he had to clean up something. Ryan placed the ice cream in his mouth, and the first lick that he got was about as grotesque as watching his dad dance around the house with only a towel around his waist. "Yuck," he said.

He quickly got up from his stool, and made his way to the nearest garbage can. He threw out the ice cream, but felt a little bad for wasting good money. He shrugged his shoulders; it wasn't a lot of money that he spent, anyways. He walked towards the town square, and noticed three teenagers working on what seemed like homework. He wasn't that interested in speaking with them, until he saw the girl there. He smirked, and proceeded to walk towards them. One of the guy—a tall blonde one—began to glare, but he didn't care.

"Well, you're about the prettiest girl I've seen so far," he said, placing his hands on his hips. The girl had dark brown hair and green eyes; she wore an orange tank top and yellow capris. She smiled, and a small blush slowly crept on her cheeks. The blonde boy that glared at him stood up, and raised his hands into a fist.

"Hey! Who do you think you are?" he shouted. The third teenager, a pudgy boy with a red jersey shirt and blue jeans, stood up abruptly and tried to stop the blonde.

"Hayner, calm down," the pudgy boy with brown hair said. Hayner pulled away, and sat back down to continue reading his book. The brunette girl got up, and she walked towards Ryan.

"I'm Olette, and this is Pence," she said while pointing at him. "What's your name?"

"Ryan," he replied while flashing a smile. She giggled, and Pence smiled at him. They didn't know why, but Ryan looked familiar to them.

"I don't know why, but I get the feeling like I've seen you before," stated Olette. Ryan smirked at this, and placed his hands over his head.

"Hey, that's my line!" he said, while laughing. "Actually, I just got here. My cousin went missing, and I'm looking for her."

"Oh? What's her name, maybe we can help." Ryan nodded, and thanked the boy. He took out a photo of Marie, and handed it to them."

"Her name is Marie, and she's two in that photo," he said, while placing his hands in his pockets. "But she's fifteen now."

"Marie!" exclaimed Olette. Ryan flinched a bit at the sudden outburst, and then Hayner got up from his seat. He didn't like all the talking going on, and when he heard Marie's name, he had just about enough. Therefore, he got up to see what the commotion was all about, and then he spotted the photo. He took it from Olette, and examined it. Indeed, it was Marie—although smaller—and she was with her parents.

"Marie is your cousin?" he asked, a little suspicious. "Well, either way you missed her. She went travelling with her friend Sora."

"You mean she's alone with a boy?" he asked, not liking where this was going.

"Well, she's also travelling with these two other guys Dona—"

"You mean there are other boys?"

"Not exactly, one of them is a—"

Even before Olette finished her sentence, Ryan headed off into god knows where. Hayner scratched his head, while Olette and Pence laughed it off. Hayner scoffed, and didn't want to know how Ryan and Marie were related, since both of them were _completely_ different.

**ଓ  
>Aura and Riku<strong>

Aura and Riku sat down on the table Naminé used to sit in, and looked at the drawings that she had left behind. Aura never understood the magic prowess that Naminé had, and she was amazed at how she developed all of Sora's memories. She was the key person in helping Roxas go back to Sora, and because of it…well, it meant she would never see him again. Even if Naminé did all that, Aura could never bring herself to hate her. She was sweet and kind and never meant any ill in helping Roxas.

Then she figured something out. The feelings of love and hate weren't genuine for Roxas, they were…_forced_. How could she love someone genuinely if the feelings were already planned? Yes, Roxas was a great person, and she couldn't deny the many enjoyable times that she had with him. If anything, Roxas was like a close friend, much like Axel. If she pursued him any further, it would surely be destructive. She sighed, nothing was ever easy for her, but maybe she was the one who planned it out. Maybe she wanted to suffer, but who knew.

To be honest, it had never occurred to her how similar her life was to the book Zexion left behind. She brought it with her while she and Riku sat down at the table, and started to go over it. She had finished the book not too long ago, and all her thinking now was brought to light because of it.

The story went like this; a prince placed a girl under a spell the same age as he. He wanted her to love him, and no one else. She hated the prince for this, and felt disgusted about loving him. Then, along came an older prince, who befriended the girl. They got along great, and became close friends. The girl developed feelings for him, and so did he. As time passed, the spell eventually came off, and the girl was free from it. She soon realized, however, that she had fallen in love with the younger prince, and was torn between the two. She didn't know who to choose, but a tragedy occurred; the younger prince was murdered. The girl vowed never to love anyone but him again, but she couldn't deny her feelings for the older prince. The girl stayed within the younger prince's castle, out of respect, and they eventually went to war with the older prince's army. She couldn't believe it, and the older prince even tried forcing her to go with him and his army; she refused. It was then that she made a decision, and that was to leave and forget about the older prince. With the war going on, she couldn't allow herself to fight not only someone she once loved, but a dear friend. She told him this, and had no choice but to agree. That was the last day she ever saw him. She eventually set on a journey to find her relatives, and only one was found, a half-sister.

Along the journey to find her half-sister, the girl met a commoner. He was neither good nor bad, just a human being trying to live his life. She couldn't see anything good about him at first, but they spent a lot of time together. He needed to see a king that lived somewhere far away, and was the same path the girl had to take. As they journeyed together, the girl began to see through the exterior of boy, and even began to like him, despite all she had gone through. He had been love-stricken from the start, and even tried to cheer up the girl. She had noticed, but decided not to let it change her. In the end, she was glad that he had done all that, because she eventually fell in love with him. The only thing that stood between them was fear; she was scared to show her feelings, scared to suffer again. Moreover, as if that wasn't hard enough, the young prince suddenly appeared, claiming that he wasn't murdered. He asked the girl's hand in marriage, and again she was torn between the prince and the commoner. It took her a very long time, but she eventually found out that the spell had never worn off and that the feelings she felt were fake. She chose the commoner, but still wanted to remain friends with the young prince. In the end, she eventually confessed her feelings, in the end, everything fell into place, and she felt happy. She felt truly and honestly happy with her life and the commoner by her side, and she found her half-sister.

Aura sighed again; the story was very much like her life. The only thing that was missing was the commoner. Who was he, and when would he appear? Aura wanted to know, but she had to be patient. For now, all she could do was let go of the past that she wanted to cling on to; the past that made her suffer so.

"Are you okay?" Riku asked from across the table. She jumped a bit, not realizing he was still in the room, but nodded her head as a reply. Although he hid it well, Riku was always concerned about Aura. He knew she was still hurt from everything that had happened within Organization XIII, and he wished he could do something. He didn't dare take off his hood, because he knew that if she looked at him…he would staring at hate itself. He sighed lightly, and hoped that one day she would be healed of the wounds. It didn't matter if she was a Nobody, because he would always see her in Marie—no matter the difference in appearance.

However, he also feared that. In his heart, he desperately wanted to find a way so that she wouldn't have to go back to Marie. Aura was her own person, and he liked that. He didn't realize it, but he was starting to like her. _Genuinely._

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

We passed through the shortcut that Lumiere showed us, despite it being so arduous. I guess better to light up some candles quickly than to fight off a whole horde of heartless, although, it wouldn't be so arduous if Sora _actually_ hit the candles on time. In any case, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, and Cogsworth went on ahead, and told us that the Beast was all the way at the end of the west wing.

Therefore, as always, we made our way towards the centre of the problem.

**ଓ  
>The Beast and Xaldin<strong>

"It's time you dealt with Belle," said a very convincing Xaldin. "She's scheming to take everything from you; this castle, your precious rose, and then—your life."

Xaldin convinced Beast not to trust anyone, and to feed his anger. Beast told him that he only wanted one thing, and Xaldin scoffed at it. "What? To love and be loved in return?"

"Who could ever love a beast?"

**ଓ  
>Sora and Xaldin<strong>

Sora, Marie, Donald and Goofy rushed into the room, and saw a tall, muscular member of Organization XIII. Sora growled, and instantly took out his keyblade. Xaldin scoffed, and stared at them. "See? She has accomplices."

Marie gasped at his voice, and was caught off guard for a moment. She knew that voice, but from where she had no clue. Sora noticed this, and was only fueled to bring this oaf down. However, the air suddenly grew thick, and in an instant, a huge flash appeared. Marie, Donald, Goofy and the Beast all became disorientated, but Sora was perfectly fine.

"You really adore her, don't you?" he said, taunting the boy. "Well, it's a shame she doesn't feel the same. In fact, she can't even remember _ever_ loving you, bwaha!"

"W-what? What do you mean!" Sora shouted back. "Just shut-up!"

Xaldin laughed bitterly before disappearing, and everyone else reverted to normal. Beast was far from the gang, and Marie scratched her head. Sora looked at her, and wondered if what that man said was true. He didn't know, but he figured it was time to talk to Marie about it. He shook his head; this wasn't the time to mope about it, either. He looked at the Beast, and started walking slowly towards him. "Hey, Prince!"

A giant roar came from the mouth of the Beast, and everyone covered themselves. Cogsworth was in the room, and he tried calling out to his master, but it was ineffective. Sora knew what was going on, and Marie was right. Beast had been possessed, and it was that man's fault.

Sora didn't want to fight the beast, but if he was ever going to come to his senses, he needed to knock some of it into him. He took out his keyblade, and both Donald and Goofy followed him. Marie hesitated, and Sora understood why; no one wants to fight a friend. She reluctantly took out her keyblade, and prepared. Cogsworth was going to help by trying to convince the Beast, while the rest fended off his attacks.

The Beast roared again, and ran towards Sora. He raised his claw and was about to attack him, but golden star-shaped knives intercepted the attack. Sora looked over to Marie, and the stars returned to her keyblade. She nodded at him, looking a little confused. It was clear to him that fighting a friend bothered her greatly. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that they once fought Riku. Sora attacked the Beast, and he growled in pain. Donald fired the occasional spells, and Goofy defended when he could, with no will to hurt the Beast. Marie stayed on the sidelines, healing when it was possible. She refused to fight a friend, but also did not want anyone getting hurt.

It wasn't too long though, that Sora and the others managed to get through to him just a bit. Cogsworth suggested that they use the keyblades to gather up the energy to knock some sense into the Beast, and both Sora and Marie nodded.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

I really hoped that this wouldn't hurt the Beast, but we had to do something to make him return to his senses. I stood beside Sora as we lifted our keyblades, but I noticed only Sora's blade was gathering energy. Donald and Goofy took notice, as did Cogsworth, but Sora was too busy gathering energy, that in the end he was strong enough to project the energy towards the Beast.

It struck the Beast, and Sora quickly turned to me as Cogsworth went to check the Beast. Donald and Goofy followed Sora, and the three of them stared at me. I didn't know what to say, so I just stood there as they stared.

"Gwarsh, I wonder why you weren't able to gather the energy with Sora," questioned Goofy. I didn't understand myself, but it was the least of my issues. I'm trying to figure out who I am without my powers, and this feeling that I'm missing something—there's no space to worry about anything else.

I looked over to the guys, and gave them a weak smile, "It doesn't matter, Sora was able to bring the Beast to his senses. That's all that matters."

"Cogsworth, what happened?" we heard the Beast say. We walked over to them, and watched as Cogsworth explained everything—well, Donald had to step in since he really couldn't.

"Who was that guy you were talking to?" Sora asked, "The one in black."

Beast gasped, and muttered the name 'Xaldin'. It was his name, and he had used the power of darkness and used Beast's anger to control him. I won't deny that the voice of that guy sounds familiar, like I've heard it before. Beast told us that Xaldin manipulated his emotions, and clouded his perception. Cogsworth mentioned Belle, and all of a sudden, the Beast gasped again calling her name.

"I've mistreated her…," he said while sighing deeply. "I've mistreated her and been so selfish."

"She didn't say anything about that," commented Sora. Beast replied saying that she was too good to say anything mean about anyone, and Cogsworth quietly mentioned that the Beast judged himself too harshly. Sora came in again, and offered him to go see her. "Come on, I'm sure you can talk to her."

"But—"

"No excuses! C'mon, we'll go with you!" Sora butted in. I giggled, and everyone looked at me. I jumped a bit, and decided to add in my little piece.

"If you say Belle is too good, then why are you afraid?" I asked. The Beast looked away, and I smiled. "If she didn't want you to talk to her, I think she would have left the castle already."

Again, the Beast didn't say anything. He grunted, and then left for the door. It must be nice to have someone you can always talk to, someone like Belle is hard to come by, and the Beast is indeed a lucky prince. Lumiere told us that in order for the curse to lift the Beast had to love and be loved in return, and maybe that was Belle's destiny. I hope she's the key to lifting the curse. Well, in any case, we left the Beast's room, and travelled to Belle's room.

It was easier to get back than to leave, since there were less heartless. As we walked, though, a sudden ping of pain entered my chest. I clutched it, and didn't make a sound. Everyone else walked ahead, and I strayed a bit. The pain started to become a little more unbearable, and I stopped as the rest continued to walk and talk. We weren't too far from Belle's room, so I could afford to stay behind. As I tried to walk towards her room, I noticed the pain getting harder and harder to handle. I held unto my chest, and tried going away from the room. I noticed that the pain decreased, and decided to head all the way to the stairs at the centre.

As soon as I got there, I sighed in relief when the pain went away, but I began to hear muffling noises. Voices? But, who? I looked over to the big door in the middle of the two wings, pressed my ear against it. I gasped and my eyes widened when I heard Belle's voice and the other belonging to the man that was in Beast's room. Without a chance to think, I rushed into the room.

"Belle!" I shouted as I ran inside. She was standing in the middle of the room, and I ran to her side. I sensed the power of darkness appearing, and I quickly took out my keyblade and placed a hand in front of Belle. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but we have to do something!" she said, pointing at the man that was there. I furrowed my eyebrows together, and pointed my keyblade at him. He walked slowly towards us.

"Stay back! I'll hurt you if you come any closer!" I shouted, getting angrier by the minute.

"Mistress, have you forgotten?" he said. I froze in my place, what…what did he say? Did he just call me _mistress_? I shook my head, why was this guy so creepy?

"Who are you?" I said. By his look, it was obvious that he was with Organization XIII, and a Nobody. This means that there was someone else before him. "Who are you, _really_?"

"I'm afraid that time is not now," he said. He took out his weapon, which was a large lance. There was no way I could take this guy on alone, not the way I am now! He raised his lance, and I prepared for the worst by placing my keyblade in front of me.

"Did you think it would be that easy?"

I raised my head, and lowered my keyblade. I couldn't believe it… the same girl I saw at Hollow Bastion was here again. The only thing different was that there was a boy with her. He was tall with dark brown hair and sea-blue eyes, and he had a duffle bag with him. I heard her mutter something, and he nodded. He ran past her, and towards us. He grabbed my hand, along with Belle's and ran towards the balcony. As we ran, I looked behind me, and noticed the girl fighting Xaldin.

**ଓ  
>Sora and the Beast<strong>

He was freaking out, as he hadn't noticed that Marie went missing. After entering the room, Sora looked around and didn't see the girl he loved in pink. He had panicked, and searched around the room. Donald and Goofy helped, and Beast took it as the perfect time to ask about Belle. She told them that belle went after Xaldin, and Beast grew furious.

"Let's go look for Belle, Marie might be with her," suggested the Beast. He was furious that Belle had gone walking into death's trap, but to be honest, he was concerned.

"Man, how can I be so stupid?" Sora said, slapping his forehead. Donald and Goofy frowned, and looked at the hero. "I should have kept my eyes on her—at all times!"

"Gwarsh, Sora, it's not your fault," comforted Goofy. "Marie might have found Belle and decided to chase after her."

"But that's not like—"Sora said, but stopped abruptly after realizing that it would be something Marie would do. He sighed, and rushed out the door right after the Beast, and they both ran as fast they could to find the two girls. They made it to the entrance hall, and heard Belle's muffled voice.

"I'm warning you! You'll be sorry!"

"Belle! Where are you?" shouted the Beast. He heard her voice again, and she shouted that she was in the ballroom. Sora and Beast ran towards the room, with Sora hoping that Marie was with them.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

Man, this was getting out of hand. The girl and Xaldin were fighting like crazy, and then suddenly, they disappeared into god knows where! A heartless popped up out of nowhere, and Belle warned it. We heard Beast's voice, and she told him that she was in the ballroom. I took out my keyblade again, and looked towards Belle, and the new boy that had suddenly appeared when the other girl came in.

"Take Belle and go to the balcony again!" I said, and the boy looked at me—quite surprised, but he listened nonetheless. I held my keyblade and stood in the middle of the room. I heard the door open, and I saw the Beast and Sora walk in along with Donald and Goofy, "Sora!"

"Marie!" he shouted back. I was glad they were here, now I wouldn't be alone. They ran up to me, and the Beast shouted Belle's name. She was all right, and Beast growled about the boy with her.

"Don't worry, he's good!" I said, protecting that boy. As soon as the Beast could say anything, the same heartless popped out again, and Sora took out his keyblade. The room turned pitch black, save for some chains that were linked up on the pillars.

We all prepared to fight the heartless, but my mind was boggling at so many things. I needed to stay focus, though.

**ଓ  
>Aura and the fight with Xaldin<strong>

"Why don't you mind your own business for once?" Xaldin said coolly. Aura swung her keyblade at him, but he blocked it successfully. She was getting angry that these Organization losers were trying so hard to obtain something impossible.

"Why don't _you_ give up, already?" she said, running up and attacking him. She was aware of Xaldin's moves, but he had gotten much stronger, an indicator that she needed more training," you know you can't get her without getting to me, and I'm trouble."

Xaldin scoffed, and swung his lance around to create a wind barrier. He barely had time to observe the young Nobody's move, but he knew he was much stronger. What could a young, pitiful girl do to a giant? She attacked him despite having placed the barrier, and surprisingly, it was able to get through, but not enough to touch him. He took off the barrier and swung his lance towards her. She was able to block it using the power of darkness, and when he got close enough, she snapped her fingers—sending him flying back.

He landed roughly on his feet, and crouched down to grasp the floor. She stood there chuckling, and pointed her keyblade at him, "I won't be the one with the satisfaction of destroying you, but I know that Marie and…Sora will do it just right."

Xaldin growled, and got up quickly and tried to get rid of Aura. He didn't care that she was needed in their plans, he just wanted her to go away forever. He ran towards her, and went to lunge this lance at her—but he missed! She was already through the portal, and fell into it. When it disappeared, he yelled, and threw his lance at the floor, "I'll see to it that you are** destroyed!**"

**ଓ  
>Ryan<strong>

Was it possible? Were his eyes telling him the truth? His cousin was fighting a huge whatever-you-call-it thing and he was hiding behind a balcony with a hot babe, one that he couldn't give his attention to because of the fight that was going on!

As he watched his cousin fight off the monster, he noticed that Sora, the boy next to her, had the same weapon. In fact, both Marie and Sora had the same weapon as that other girl, except he forgot her name. Well, he _was_ never good with names. He continued to look on, and he noticed that the girl beside was filled with concern.

"Are you okay?" he finally asked. She turned to him, and flashed a smile. Although she was worried, she knew that Sora, Donald, Goofy, Marie and the Beast would get rid of the monster.

"I'm all right, I know they will get rid of that monster," she said as she placed a hand on her chest. Ryan raised his eyebrow in confusion, and thought that it wouldn't hurt to ask about Marie.

"Do you know the girl fighting there?" he said, pointing at Marie. She giggled, and stared at her.

"Yes, she fought to save the worlds along with Sora," she said as she continued to stare, "She is the protector of a power with unimaginable power. I met her down at Hollow Bastion, where I along with other princesses defended against the power of evil."

"Protector…," he repeated. His cousin—Marie, was a fighter beyond belief. He never really had confidence that he would find her, he was just so angry with his parents for not telling him about her. It was more like he just wanted to run away as revenge, but he never knew it would escalate into this! All he could do now was just watch his cousin beat the snot out of the monster.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

Sora attacked the heartless, and it moaned. We were a hit away from offing this thing, and Sora let Beast do the honours. He roared, and let his claws do the rest. Sora stood beside me as we watched Beast deal the last blow. When he did, the heartless let out a high-pitched scream, and a pink heart floated from it's body.

"We did it!" Sora exclaimed joyfully—

"So you think."

However, that joy was stepped on when Xaldin appeared from behind us. We turned around, and the Beast shouted his name. He ran at full speed towards Xaldin, who simply said farewell and disappeared into the darkness. The Beast stopped, and growled, "What does he want here?"

"He must be with Organization XIII," replied Sora, who stared at the specks of darkness left behind. He explained to Beast what the nobodies were, and hypothesized that they were probably trying to make Beast into a Nobody—so that they could control him.

"You're all right!" we turned around, and saw Belle walking with the boy. The Beast called her name, and ran towards her. They began to talk amongst themselves, and we decided to let them have that talk. Besides, I was more interested in the boy who mysterious arrived with the girl. Without saying anything, I walked towards him, and he stood there a bit nervous.

"Who are you?" I asked. He chuckled, and scratched the back of his head. He really did seem nervous, and when he looked back at me, all he could do was stare. I guess he's not much of a talker, "Well, I'm Mar—"

"Marie Hill, I know," he replied. I was about to raise my hand so he could shake it, but after finishing off my sentence, I brought it back.

"How do you know my name?" I said, looking a bit concerned and a bit worried. He went to lump the duffle bag over his shoulder, and looked away again.

"It's a long story, but in short, I'm your cousin," he said, looking straight at me. I didn't take it in the first time, and my jaw opened. I had to process what he said, and when he did, I gasped.

"M-my **what!"**

* * *

><p>Holy shiznats, over 5,000 words, I'm so happy! I hope you guys have a very Merry Christmas! I know I'll be enjoying my new XBOX. Hey, if any of you have it, add me—It's SWIRL3Y. [As if that wasn't obvious enough.] I'm kind of quiet, though…<p>

**grapejuice101:**

Merry Christmas!

There will be more moments like that, but later on. Then, there will be huge moments like that! I love the Tron world, World that never was, Twilight Town, and Halloween/Christmas Town! I'm not a big fan of Atlantica, or the Olympus Coliseum worlds, since to me they're kinda boring. However, I'm glad you like them, lol.

**Shadow 1n2:**

Merry Christmas!

Oh, man I would have loved to see that. Haha, I say the same things to my friends when they plain out annoy me, and then I go back to reading. XD ack, tell me about it. I had the same thing happen to me. My mom bought the XBOX 360, I was staring at it, and as I placed a hand on it and she slapped it and said, "No! You wait until Christmas! I've heard about it, but I'm not really into anime. I was only interested in Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon until my interest died down.

**Dracula X:**

Merry Christmas!

Haha, here is another present, I hope you like it.

You know, I would love that, but if I asked around it wouldn't come cheap. I have heard the new version, and I really like it. Although, I've always loved the 'dearly beloved' themes.

**Lele-the-Greek-Geek:**

Merry Christmas!

Hola, amiga! Haha yeah, it would be weird, but at least you'd have someone to talk to at night. XD and yeah, Marie will just continue to be 'weird'. Lol. I actually have made up my mind and I have revealed it to you on DeviantART. XD

**Lvl-ZeR0:**

Merry Christmas!

Why, thank you!

That's a little gross, even at my age. Man, boys will always convince me that they have cooties. XD er… yeah, you should get that checked. My sister just got sick, and she's throwing up all over the place. DX

**HopeReincarnated:**

Merry Christmas!

Aw, sorry about that, I made this one longer for Christmas.

1) Well, for the most part, yes. Although she is losing contact as she advances in her journey and I'll write about that in later chapters.

2) well, again since I haven't written it, Stella is busy tending to Dante—since he's really sick. Moreover, she's trying not to be in Marie's life so much, or else she'll be tempted to help.

3) He's a teenaged boy, they don't usually think, and most usually do. He was mostly angry with his parents, and wanted some kind of revenge. He didn't actually he would find her, but somewhere inside him he was really sad about being an only child with no family other than his parents. I guess the fact that he has a shot at being an older cousin motivated him, and the fact that she was adopted means he also has a shot at being an older brother.

I hope these answers are good enough, if you need more just tell me! XD

**dracula-key:**

Merry Christmas!

Yes, it is a good thing, and it will show more as the story progresses. I hope you have a Merry Christmas, too!


	20. Dysfunctional family

I hate leaving people out of the loop, so I'll tell you now. I've already made small preparations for the next game, and started drawing out some ideas. Check it out!

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/The-other-Marie-275110266

**Marie's casual wear:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty<br>ଓ  
>Dysfunctional family<strong>

Aura cursed to herself as she limped towards the old mansion. She hadn't realized it before, but Xaldin managed to hurt her. It wasn't serious, but he attacked her ankle, and it just hurt. She was at the entrance of the mansion, and Riku had popped out of the door. He noticed her limping, and rushed to her. She looked up at him, and grunted a bit.

"What happened?" he asked, grabbing her arm and wrapping it around his shoulders. She stopped for a moment, and took the chance to heal it with her healing spell. She couldn't heal before because she feared Xaldin was still after her, but by the time she made it to the mansion she was in the clear.

"Xaldin managed to hurt me, but it's not serious," she said, checking her leg after it was healed, "but I brought Ryan to Marie. It's a good thing I can sense when she's in danger."

"Did you see Sora?" Riku asked, concerned for his friend.

Aura shook her head; she left before she could see him. Her top priority was to bring Ryan to Marie, but she couldn't bring him while the others were busy. When she was able to sense that Belle was with Marie, Aura thought it a good opportunity to bring him so that he was at least with Belle. As she finished checking herself, Riku stood there waiting for her. "You sure you're okay?" he said.

"Just fine," she replied. She began walking past him, but as soon as she did, he pulled her closer to him. He held onto her, and Aura scoffed at him, and tried untying herself from his grasp.

"I meant if you're okay after seeing Axel. I noticed you're a bit off," he said. He let go of Aura, but she didn't move away. She looked at the floor, and closed her eyes. It wasn't fair that she had to go through so many things just because she was a Nobody, but DiZ was right when he said that they had no right to exist.

"How would you feel if you had to break the friendship you and Sora had?" she asked, not bothering to look at him, "if you're best friends, then you'd know that it takes time to recover from that."

Now it was Riku's turn to look away, since he would feel horrible if he was no longer friends with Sora. It was bad enough that he lost Marie for ten years, but Sora was his closest friend. Out of the questions he wanted to ask Aura though, he really wanted to know where she stood with Roxas. "What about Roxas?" he asked again.

This time she stuttered, and her eyes widened a bit. He noticed that every time Roxas was mentioned, it got such a reaction from her. She couldn't look up from the floor, but she needed to say something, "Well, I—wait, why am I telling you this? It's none of your business."

She started walking away from Riku, but again, he grabbed her arm, and brought her close to him. He sighed, and looked at her sympathetically, "I don't know what it is, but I care about you. I don't know if it's because you're Marie's nobody, or something else—but I want to make whatever's going on with you my business, because I care."

Aura opened her mouth, but unable to say anything. This is probably the first time anyone has ever been upfront about caring for her. There was Roxas, but he always made it subtle to the point where she couldn't really know. She still couldn't look at him, but she wanted to smile and thank him for caring—even if it was because he was friends with Marie. Anything like that makes her feel as if she was meant to exist. Riku let go of her arm, and waited for a reply—anything to know she was listening.

"If you really care, then maybe you can help me forget about Roxas," she said, looking from side to side, away from Riku. "I need to let go of the past, and the only thing stopping me from completely letting go is Roxas, so—"

Stopping her from talking any further, Riku did what had been on his teenaged mind for some time. He leaned in, and placed his lips a little too roughly on Aura's lips. He had closed his eyes, not wanting to see her furious ones staring back. The truth was Aura just stared in shock at first. As the kiss continued though, she slowly closed her eyes and oddly enough, let him continue. This was new to her, and she didn't know if he should let him continue or not. The feeling she started getting was weird, but pleasant, and wanted it to last.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

I stared at the boy—who was named Ryan—checking out the Gummi Ship. He was so intrigued and in awe at the technology, but I wasn't really happy with this. He had yet to tell us what was going on, and when he was going to tell us, the ship suddenly began moving towards Hollow Bastion. Sora stood beside me, fidgeting and getting nervous—which wasn't all that a surprise. I sighed, things just keep getting weirder.

"Say Marie…do you…do you remember everything that happened last year?" I heard Sora say unexpectedly. Yep, things were getting weirder. I crossed my arms, and leaned against one of the counters as I began to think. I could only really remember just saving the worlds and all the conversations I remember with everyone we met. Everything else in between was a blur, like what we did on the Gummi Ship, or the conversations I had with Sora.

"Um, well, just the fact that we saved the worlds and what I discovered about myself," I replied, still staring at Ryan. "Everything else is a great big blur."

"Oh." I raised my eyebrow in confusion, and finally looked at Sora. "Everything okay?" I asked.

"Oh, oh yeah! Definitely, I was just wondering," he unconvincingly said. I sighed again; I think I'm better off not asking about it any further. Besides, I was still wondering about Ryan. I decided to approach him, but as soon as I did, the ship shook, and we were landing on Hollow Bastion.

"What's going on?" he asked, panicking and looking around. I firmly held onto my chair, and then grabbed his hand to do the same. He continued to look around, but wasn't as freaked out as before.

"We're landing….hold onto the chair, it's planted to the ground," I said. Sora, Donald and Goofy all took their positions, and we watched from the window as the ship landed.

**ଓ**

We were stumped as to why we were brought here, so Goofy suggested we see the restoration committee. I was a little worried about bringing Ryan, since it seems like he doesn't have any fighting experience, but he was so stubborn and decided to come along anyways. Sora walked beside me with his hands behind his head, and everyone else looked around. It was silent, and it was freaking me out a bit. As we made it to the house, we saw some heartless run out of Merlin's. I gasped, and Sora was the first to enter.

Everything seemed all right, but Merlin was on the floor. Sora rushed to help him up, and asked what happened. "Well, it was I who summoned you all here, but I seemed to have used too much power. Those infernal heartless rummaged the place, but I was able to save this."

Merlin handed a book to us, and on the cover of it was Sora, me, and…

"Pooh's storybook!" I happily exclaimed. Donald took the book, and I smiled brightly. Aw man, I remember that cuddly little teddy bear! I wonder how he's doing. Merlin went off saying that he wanted to tell us something, but then he went on saying that Leon and the others needed to hear as well, and told us to wait.

"I wonder how Pooh and the others are doing," wondered Sora. Donald asked him if he wanted to find out, and opened the book. Sora looked at me, as if asking me if I wanted to go along. I really did, but…

"Why don't you go Sora, and fill me in later? I don't trust Ryan enough to stay here with Goofy and Donald," I said, sounding a bit sad. Sora looked at me, but I looked at the floor. He sighed, which was a first from him, and decided to enter the book alone.

"Cover for me, okay?" he said, looking at Goofy. He dove into the book, and magically disappeared. I looked at Donald and Goofy, who stared at the book. I looked at Ryan, and grabbed his arm as I walked out of the house.

"Where're going Marie?" asked Goofy. I stopped and looked at him, and pointed at Ryan.

"I need to have a talk with our new guest, I'll be back soon, promise." I left without them having to answer, and Ryan looked a little nervous. I really wanted some answers, like how I never knew I had an uncle and an aunt.

**ଓ**

"aw man, you're not going to hit me, are you?" Ryan asked, still looking nervous.

"Not unless you tell me about this 'cousin' business," I said, crossing my arms. The only thing he told me was that he was my cousin, and never went into specifics about it. I think it was about time to get those answers.

"What's there to know, we're cousins," he said, scratching his nose. I sighed again, this isn't what I meant.

"When did I have a cousin? When did I have an uncle and an aunt?" I said, waving my hands around. Ryan just walked along while chuckling to himself, and I really think now isn't the time to be laughing.

"Well, we both have two aunts and one uncle," he said, while using his fingers to count. "The mutual one is named Trinity Devon, but she passed away even before I was born, and I'm older than you."

"You are?" I asked, sounding a bit surprised. Ryan didn't look older—he kinda looked like my age, or a bit younger.

"Don't let my good-looking looks fool ya," he said, which made me roll my eyes. "I'm a year older…the same age as Riku."

"Have you seen Riku!" I asked. If he did, this would really benefit Sora. "If you did, you should tell Sora!"

"I didn't see him, I only met some girl named….ah, well I can't remember," he said, scratching his head. "But what's your fix on Sora? You guys better not be going out, since I'm also your older brother."

"_what?_" I asked, really freaked out now. How can he be my brother _and_ my cousin at the same time? He shoved his hands into his pocket, and laughed aloud. He coughed a lot after laughing, which made others look at him oddly. I wonder if he's sick or something.

"The truth is, you're real parents disappeared about a month after you were born," he said. I stopped, and looked at him with a serious expression. How can my parents be dead if I was with them until I was at least three years old?

"Actually, those are my parents—your aunt and uncle. They didn't want you to know about it until you were older though, but then you disappeared, too," he said as he stopped a little further from me. I stood where I was, and looked at the ground. Could it be true? Was what he said really be true? I looked at him, although sadly, and clasped my hands together.

"Please tell me you're lying," I said—_pleaded_ him to be right. "It can't be true, it just can't!"

"I'm sorry Marie," he said, looking away with his hands still in his pockets. "Your real surname isn't Hill…it's actually Devon, but ever since my parents adopted you, it's been Hill."

My knees began to weaken, and I couldn't even stand. I fell to the floor, and lowered my head. I tried so hard not to cry, but what I'm hearing isn't exactly good news. How could my parents have kept this secret? They're not even my parents….my…aunt and uncle. I managed to look at Ryan, and he looked back sympathetically.

"Do you know who my _real_ parents are?" I asked, although a bit quiet. He was still able to hear though, and he looked up into the sky, as if wondering.

"I'm horrible with names, but I have pictures of them, I'll show you when we get back to the ship." He came up to me, and offered his hand. I closed my eyes for a bit, and gave my hand to him. I got up with his help, and we started walking back to Merlin's.

"If you're mad at my parents, you have every right," he said. "I'm mad at them for not telling me about it, and seriously, I found out about you through Kairi—"

"Kairi? You saw her? Is she okay?" I asked, concerned for a fellow friend. I wonder how she must be feeling, since I knew she feels something for Sora. Also, with Riku still missing, she must be really sad.

"Yeah, but she was always so distant," he said, while looking at the houses. "She _is_ close to Sora and Riku, so I think she misses them."

"Well, I guess that's one good thing I can tell Sora," I said, while placing my hands behind my back. "He's worried sick about Riku, but I think this might help him feel a little bit better."

"Do you like him?" asked Ryan, but I lightly hit his arm out of the absurdity of that.

"N-no, I don't," I said, looking straight ahead. "He's just a friend…"

"Sure. Whatever you say, sis/cousin."

**ଓ  
>Sora<strong>

Sora ventured into the book, and the first thing that popped up was the house of Pooh. He wondered if that small bear was home and walked towards his house. Along the way, he began to think of a few things. A lot has happened over the days, and the main thing was Marie. At first he thought she was just mad, but what Xaldin said…could that be true? Did Marie actually forget the memories she had with Sora?

He didn't really know if it was better than her being mad, since at least them she'd still remember. In reality, it explained a lot. Why she was so distant, and so awkward when he wanted to show affection…it made sense. He wasn't going to let that stop him, in fact, he was going to try and make her remember. He didn't know how, but maybe little by little he'd ask her about some things.

As he walked closer to Pooh's house, he remembered the times he had with Marie. It was this world that she let her guard down, and cried in front of him. And… It was here that he vowed to himself to be by her side. He really wished she were here, so that he could tell her. With Ryan in the picture though, Sora wasn't sure what to do. He didn't know Marie had a cousin, and by her look, neither did she. He was just as curious as Marie was, and hopefully she'd fill him in after.

He walked down the path, and noticed a little house in the corner. He looked around, until he saw a small teddy bear thinking on a log. He approached the small bear, and he looked up at Sora. "Hey Pooh bear, how ya doin'? Finding enough honey lately?"

"Why yes, in fact, I was about to do my stoutness exercises, would you like to join me, Sora?" he asked, shifting on the log. Sora laughed, and would have loved to see Marie's reaction to this. He knew she had a thing for stuff animals, and wondered about buying her one. He shook his head, and looked back at Pooh Bear.

"Sure, I'm game," he said. Pooh attempted to get off the log, but midway he froze. He questioned this, and slowly walked up to Pooh. He slowly brought his fingers towards the bear, and as soon as his fingertip touched him, he was sent flying out of the book!

As he was brought out of the book, he landed roughly on the floor. He watched as the book closed itself, and raised his eyebrow in confusion. He sat there for a moment, until he heard Donald's voice, "Sora! Hurry up!"

He turned around, and wondered what was up. He quickly got up from the floor, and started running towards the door. He saw Donald and Goofy fending off some shadows, and Sora brought out his keyblade. "Did you bring the book, Sora?" asked Goofy.

As the three of them turned around, they saw three heartless shadows running off with the book. Sora shouted at them, and Donald yelled for them to give the book back. As the three of them ran towards the heartless, Marie and Ryan popped up, with one of the heartless knocking Ryan down.

"Marie!" shouted Sora. She helped Ryan up, and he stood behind her. She was able to fight off the heartless near her, while protecting Ryan. She looked at Sora, but was distracted when another heartless popped up.

"Don't worry, I got these. Fight off the rest!" she shouted while shooting the stars from her keyblade. He noticed that she looked a bit shaken, from the way she was fighting, but as long as she was defeating them, he felt relieved. He focused on the ones in front of him, and quickly fought some of them off. They were nothing more than shadows, the lowest of the heartless chain, and were able to defeat them all quickly.

As he finished fighting off the last one, he noticed that Marie was about done as well. The last heartless she fought dropped Pooh's storybook, and all five of them went to check up on it. Sora bent down to pick it up, and asked if it was all right.

"Gawrsh, maybe you better check to see if Pooh's all right," suggested Goofy. Donald shook his head, and asked about Merlin.

"I'm sure we can come up with something," said Marie, looking at the book. "I'm also worried about Pooh."

"Alright, Marie and I will go," confirmed Sora. He looked over to Ryan, and then back at Donald and Goofy. "Take care of him while we're gone."

They both nodded, and Sora gave the book to Donald. Marie was the first to grab Sora's hand, and he looked at her. He smiled lightly, and she gave him the go. He ran towards the book, and dove into it along with Marie.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

We landed on the book, and I looked around. Everything looked like it was erased, and Sora scratched his head. "It didn't look like this when I was last here."

"Pooh's house still looks intact, let's go check it out," I said while walking towards it. Sora followed along, and we walked through the path. It was a bit quiet along the way, but then Sora began to speak.

"Say do you remember anything from here?" he said, looking at me while we walked. I placed a finger on my chin, and closed my eyes as I stopped. I thought of the things that went on here, but literally, some parts were blurred out.

"I can't…it's just a blur," I said, opening my eyes. "I just remember us helping Pooh Bear."

"Oh," he said as he looked away. He was very quiet and down, and I looked down at the floor. I sighed as I watched the floor, but then I remembered what Ryan said to me.

"…Kairi is doing well," I said, while looking at him. He turned and faced me again, and tilted his head in confusion.

"How do you know?"

"Ryan told me," I replied. "He's talked to her a few times, and he also remembers you when he was young, and how you were always with Kairi and Riku."

"I don't really remember him though, I think this is the first I've seen him," he replied. He let out a big sigh, and placed his hands behind his back and smiled. "But I sure am glad that Kairi's alright."

I began to walk backwards, and stared at Sora. He raised his eyebrow in confusion—probably cause I started walking backwards. "You know, you should really drop that 'I think of Kairi as a sister' thing. I don't think she'd like that."

**ଓ  
>Sora<strong>

Sora didn't understand where she was going with this, so he asked her what she meant, and she just smiled while she spoke. "Well, she's my friend, too, right? I'm just saying…"

She passed a wink onto him, and he was confused. Was she…was Marie implying that he should like Kairi a little more? It was true that he had some sort of feelings for Kairi way back when he first started this journey, but then Marie appeared, and everything just rather…went into place. Plus, he still loves Marie, and he couldn't betray her. Marie was right though—he needed to think of Kairi as a friend. Maybe Marie thought that Kairi would take it too offense to be called a sister?

Marie turned around, and giggled as she jogged towards Pooh, who was visible. He ran towards both of them, and saw Pooh sitting on the log. He bent down and smiled at it. "I'm glad you're okay, Pooh."

"And I'm glad you came to visit, but you see, I was just about to begin my stout exercise," he said, wiggling his stuffed feet. Marie laughed, and Sora chuckled, hoping the same thing that happened last year wouldn't start. "Perhaps we could visit a bit later, people-I-don't-know."

"Oh…sure," Sora replied. He looked at Marie, and she shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what was up. As Pooh began his exercise, Marie smiled, and Sora began to ask Pooh another question. "So...how's piglet these days?"

"I'm not quite sure I know anyone by that name," he replied, bending down to do his exercise. Sora called his name, but Pooh was too busy doing his exercise to answer back. Sora stood straight and crossed his arms as he looked at Marie.

"Something very weird is happening here," he said. Marie grabbed her other arm, and stared at Pooh Bear. She tilted her head and wondered what was up, and suggested asking Merlin about it.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

By the time we got out of the book, we asked Merlin what happened. As it turns out, some of the pages of the book were stolen by the heartless, since it's a cherished book. It must mean something to them; otherwise, they wouldn't have gone through the trouble of stealing it.

Merlin also gave us a necklace, with the power of summoning our friends, like Mushu or Simba. That actually makes me wonder how Simba is doing, I hope he's okay. Sora suggested we move on, and we all agreed. Along the way, I thought it would be informal to tell Ryan that this was my home.

"Hey Ryan, if you wanna know, this is the place where I was taken," I said, placing my hands behind my back. "I was able to run from the guy who kidnapped me, and that's where I met Ansem the wise, the guy who treated me like his family."

"Whoa, that's a lot to take in," he said, fixing his hat. "But I'm really happy that you're safe. I can't imagine what that guy would've done if you didn't run from him."

I'm not really sure myself, and I really can't remember the guy's name. I remember the basics, and I think that's good for now, but I would really like to know everything. When that time will be, who knows? I just hope it's not too late by the time I remember. I also thought of how I was going to tell Ryan that I have powers. I mean, it sounds a little silly saying it now, but he's seen me with my keyblade, and he hasn't said anything about it yet.

"Hey, I noticed you guys fight," he said, looking at each of us. "And one of you even uses magic! How cool is that?"

Donald smirked, feeling proud and honoured, but Sora and I laughed. I guess he _did_ notice, but I don't know how we're going to explain that Sora and I are—

"Yeah, well get this: Marie and I are Keyblade wielders! We've saved all of the worlds so far because of the blades we use!" Sora exclaimed proudly, sticking his tongue at Donald, who only crossed his arms.

"I've seen someone with those blades you guys carry…but I can't remember her name," he said, having a finger on his chin. "Eh, it'll come to me. Anyways, do you guys have any powers like he does?"

Ryan pointed at Donald, and I hesitated a bit. I don't know why I'm acting weird about it, I guess it's something you don't tell your family. Especially if you've just met him. Well, if he's cool with us fighting with weapons, I guess he'd be okay with a magic-user cousin.

"I _did_ have the power of Kingdom Hearts, but it's been taken away," I said, looking down at my hands. "But apparently, I have my own set of powers, apart from the ones that were taken away."

"Cool! What are your powers?" he asked, getting really interested in the idea.

"Not much, all I can do is just heal and create shields," I said. I sighed; I was able to do so much more than that, but ever since my powers were taken, I've been feeling so inferior. I really wondered how long this feeling would pass, but I don't think it'll be anytime soon.

"Well, that's cool, I guess," replied Ryan. Geez, not even my own cousin thinks my powers are cool. He walked up to Donald, and started asking him questions about his powers. I had the same magic as Donald, but his were upgraded, so they looked cooler than mine. As Ryan and Donald talked amongst themselves, Sora came up to me.

"So what did you guys talk about while I was at Pooh's?" he asked. I looked over to him, and gave him a slight smile. I guess I could always count on Sora to be nice, even if he was acting weird.

"Well, it's a long story if you're into it," I said as I chuckled a bit. He smiled back, and offered his ears to listen. I nodded, and went on to tell him about the problem I had back at home.

* * *

><p><strong>Marie, WHAT THE $#%&amp; ARE YOU SAYING! You'll lose Sora!<strong>

Anyways, hey guys! How was your Christmas? I had a horrible one, I ate something wrong, and I've been sick with the stomach flu and spent every minute of every hour throwing up whatever I ate. I'm okay now, and I think I lost some weight!

**Shadow 1n2:** Haha, yeah I'm from Guatemala and we open our presents at midnight. It saves like ten plus hours for us. I just had fun playing my XOBX and strolling around in Saints Row 3—Which I beat in less than two days. I really hope the fourth game is longer. Happy New years!

**Dracula X:** Happy New Years! Yeah, he has his hood on, so she can't tell. However, the voice is enough for her to know that it sounds familiar. I wonder what she'll do when she sees him without his hood?

**grapejuice101:** Happy New Years! Yeah, and it gets worse, Marie is playing cupid! She just might make the worst mistake she'll ever make! And yes, although it was a bitter reunion.

**Captainface:** Happy New Years! He got to the world through Aura's portal; otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to get to Marie.

**Lvl-ZeR0:** Happy New Years! Haha, well here's a New Years gift! That's okay, I'm happy that you take the time to review this story, so that means a lot. Well, true, girls are a mystery. I won't lie that I get bi-polar sometimes. But if you stay out of my sight when it's the time of the month, or if I'm pissed in general, you'll find that I'm one bright and cheery woman!

Ugh, and don't say puke…

**HopeReincarnated:** Happy New Years! And yeah, I noticed I didn't answer it. Stella and Dante do know about Ryan, but they never met him since he was in the hospital when she was still on Destiny Islands. She doesn't know that he's with Marie at the moment, since she isn't checking up on her anymore, and she's not aware of his actions.

Ah, and well I have a friend who is diagnosed as iron-deficiency anemia, and he's usually with me when I write my stories [and he likes to sleep on my bed DX] and he also reads it. I thought it would be nice to make a character based on him. Also, I wanted to bring in another character out of surprise and to keep the readers interested. I don't know if it worked or not, but I really like Ryan's character. I don't think he'll appear much in future stories, so I think this will be his first and last story.

**dracula-key:** Happy New Years! Yeaaah, you'll see that a lot. Ryan is my comic-relief dude, so he'll be hitting on a lot of girls. Yuffie will be a prime victim of it. He also will be the protective brother, since he's her adopted brother and cousin at the same time.


	21. I'm holding out for a hero!

I hate leaving people out of the loop, so I'll tell you now. I've already made small preparations for the next game, and started drawing out some ideas. Check it out!

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/The-other-Marie-275110266

**Marie's casual wear:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**IT'S MOTHERFUU-**

**IT'S AURON TIME, PEOPLE! W00T W00T!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-One<br>ଓ  
>I'm holding out for a hero!<strong>

"Wait, you're actually gonna fight monsters with this ship?"

Everyone turned to Ryan, who was standing beside me as he looked at my screen. Sora turned around, and told him that the gummi ship was specially made to fight off the heartless near the worlds. Ryan mouth opened wide, and he literally tried to push me off my own chair.

"Move it, sis, I wanna learn how to fight from the ship," he said while pushing me. I groaned, and pinched the bridge of my nose. I think I know how Leon feels when he has to deal with Yuffie. I got up from my chair, and he firmly planted himself on the chair.

"I don't do much, you know, I just make sure Donald and Goofy have their supplies, and check the ship for upgrades and such," I said as I leaned against the chair.

"Are you kidding, that's the most important job to have!" he exclaimed excitedly. I raised my eyebrow at this, was it that important?

"Well, duh! Nothing else would function if you don't do your job," he said. I never knew that, but then again, I'm not one to do mechanical stuff.

"You know a lot about mechanics," I said as I saw him reading the manual. His eyes lit up with every word he read, and I couldn't help but yawn.

"Well, I fix my dad's car almost every time it breaks down," he replied. I looked away, the thought about his dad being my uncle really made me feel weird. Everything I grew up with wasn't actually real, it was just to cover up the fact that I had no parents. That reminded me…

"Where are those pictures you said you were going to show me," I asked. He looked too busy to answer, seeing as he was literally squealing with every button he read. "They're in my duffle bag, in your room," he said.

"Okay, well, seeing as how you've got the basics of what I do, I think I can leave you to do it for me," I said. Ryan got up, and gave me a big hug. I looked over to Donald, Goofy and Sora, who only laughed and made fun of me. Geez, who knew having a cousin, could be so embarrassing.

"Thanks, sis!" he said. Really, this 'sister' thing was just creeping me out. I would be happier if he just called me cousin, like how it should be. I don't feel like I have the right to be called sister, since I was barely living with them. I patted his back, and he returned to my chair. I nodded at Sora, so that he could start heading off to the new world. I walked back to my room, and wanted to look at those pictures.

**ଓ**

I saw Ryan's duffle bag on my bed, and he most likely just threw it there, since clothes were spilling out of it. I sighed, and walked over to my bed. I took the duffle bag, and reached my arm into it. I did not want to take out any clothes, for fear of seeing something I didn't want to see. I stopped digging when I touched a small box, and figured that the pictures were there. I took the box out, and it looked like a present box.

I slowly opened the box, and looked inside. I saw a photo, and picked it up. I looked at the box, and noticed that nothing else was in there. I shrugged, and looked at the photo.

"Dante Devon," I said aloud. This man must be my father, my_ real_ father. I searched the box again, and didn't find a picture of my mother. I looked over at the duffle bag, and figured I had to take everything else out if the picture got lost. I took it, and turned it upside down to let the clothes come out. I saw things I didn't want to see—like his underwear—and I just rummaged through it to see if there were any other pictures. To my disappointment, I didn't find any more pictures, and I guess I was just left with the picture of my father.

I walked over to the mirror, and held the picture beside me. I concentrated on the mirror, and I could actually see a lot of myself within this man. There was no doubt; this man must be my real dad. I looked down at the table, and tried to find something so that I could stick the photo on the mirror. I didn't find anything, so I just stuck the photo in the little space between the wood and the mirror. It stuck well, and I looked at it again. I can't believe this…what I thought were my parents were just my aunt and uncle.

I wonder where my parents are. Are they still alive? If they are, how are they holding up? There are probably many questions about myself that only they know, and they're not even here. No, this isn't right. I looked at the picture, and I placed my hand over where my heart laid.

"After this journey is done, I'll set out to find you and my mom," I said. They must be out there somewhere. Ryan had to explain it to Sora, and he mentioned that the woman who knew about my parents and I said that they're not dead since there was no proof or bodies. If they really are alive, then I need to bring them home. It's not right to just run away leaving a child behind, it's unforgivable.

The ship shook, and I took it as a sign saying that we've landed on the new world. I took one last glimpse at the picture, and quickly made to out to the control room.

**ଓ**

"Did you guys land already?" I asked as I walked into the control room.

"Yeah, and it's the Olympus Coliseum," replied Sora. Oh no, if Sora thinks he's going to compete in those tournaments, he's got another thing coming. He, along with Donald, Goofy and Ryan got up to get off. I wasn't so sure about Ryan coming along, but maybe there's a place where we can keep him safe. That cough I heard at Hollow Bastion didn't sound so good.

**ଓ**

When we got off, something looked weird. Donald, Goofy and Sora walked around, while I stayed close to Ryan. Goofy asked if we really were at the coliseum, and then Donald suddenly pointed the way. I guess we were underground or something.

As we made our way towards the stairs leading to the coliseum, we heard a scream. A girl with long auburn hair and a purple dress ran out of the inner area of the underground. Heartless were chasing after her, but they quickly retreated. Sora ran to help the woman, and we followed him. He extended his hand to her, but she ignored it and said she was fine. When Sora didn't put his hand away, she quickly got up. Guess she's the independent type.

She dusted herself off, and crossed her hands as she looked at us. "And you're supposed to be?"

"I'm Sora, this is Donald and Goofy, and she's Marie," he said while pointing at us. "And he's—"

"Ryan, a man most fit for you, pretty face," interrupted Ryan as he went to kiss the woman's hand. She quickly pulled it back, and had a disgusted look on her face. I sighed in annoyance, who knew my cousin was so….flirtatious.

"…Charmed," she said as she looked away. I sighed again, and grabbed and pulled Ryan away.

"Sorry about him. We're here to see how Hercules is doing," I said, pulling Ryan away. She was quiet, and looked at us. She raised her eyebrow in confusion, and then gave us a sarcastic look.

"You know wonder boy?" she said as she looked at us. Donald said we knew him because we were heroes, and Goofy corrected him by saying we were _junior _heroes. I chuckled, and the woman laughed along saying we had a friend in common.

"The name's Megara. My friends call me Meg," she said. Sora asked how Hercules was doing, and she said that he was fighting in the coliseum. She sounded a bit concerned when she said that he was ready to fall, but he still keeps fighting. She then mentioned saying that the monsters Hercules were fighting were 'special orders' from hades. Goofy pointed out that she seemed more than friends with Hercules, and I smiled at this.

"Oh…um, well…," she stuttered. Yeah, it was obvious. Sora said that we'd go talk to Hades, but I wasn't willing to bring Ryan along.

"Meg, is it possible to take Ryan with you, he's not equipped to fight," I said. Ryan walked ahead of me, and looked at Sora and the others.

"What? You don't think I'm capable? I can fight, too!" he shouted, sounding a bit offended. It's not that I don't think he's capable, it's just….well, he's family, and I don't want anything bad happening to him.

"I can take care of myself!" he protested. I sighed, and looked at Sora, Donald and Goofy. They shrugged their shoulders, and Sora walked up to me.

"I'm sure he can help," said Sora. I dropped my shoulders; I don't think this is a good idea, but…

"If it gets too dangerous, I'm pulling you out and bringing you to Meg and Hercules myself!" I responded with firmness, and the boys looked a bit scared. I've never raised my voice like this, but this is my family. No matter how little we know about each other, we're from the same blood, so I'm not taking any chances.

"O-okay," replied Ryan, albeit a little nervous. Meg laughed, and told us to keep our meeting with Hades a secret. We all agreed, and set our journey into the scary cave known as the underworld. We opened the door that was the entrance, and started walking further and further in.

As soon as we walked in, however, we saw a man in a black cloak run by. Donald shouted their name, Organization XIII, and we all started to run. I noticed Ryan seemed a little hesitant, and I had to make sure I kept my eyes on him. As we began to run, I noticed my breathing was cut short, as if I was losing energy. I ignored it, though, since I had to worry about the task.

We walked further into the cave, and as soon as we did, we saw the cloaked figure run towards us. We immediately took out our weapons, with Ryan hiding behind me. The man kept running towards us, and when we were about to attack he quickly ran past us, saying something.

"Run, run away!"

….

"Okay…?"

…...Seriously, what was _that_ about?

**ଓ  
>Aura<strong>

"What is wrong with you?" Aura said as emotionless as possible. She was sitting on a rock at the entrance to the underworld, and had been sneaking up on Marie. She disappeared after Demyx ran past them, and made her way into the entrance where Demyx popped up.

"Ah! Aura! D-don't hurt me!" he pleaded, covering his head and any other features he could hide.

"Relax, surfer man, I won't hurt you," she said, crossing her legs. "Assuming you don't hurt Marie, I won't hurt you."

"R-really? Well! I just won't kidnap her," he said, laughing nervously while leaning against a pillar. "So…how are you?"

"Didn't you ever learn not to fraternize with the enemy?" she said, picking out the dirt from her gloves. "But if you must know, I guess you can be messenger boy for me. Tell Xemnas that if he gets any of you to lay a finger on Marie, he'll meet a fate worse than death."

Demyx gulped, and wasn't sure how to handle the new Aura. She was beyond terrifying, and he knew very well what she was capable of doing. He quickly nodded, and created a portal to run through. There was no way he was staying with that kind of threat, and all he wanted to do was recon the area. Xemnas and everyone else knew he was worthless in battle. Why did these sorts of things happen to him, anyways?

As soon as he disappeared, however, Riku appeared through another portal. Aura went on guard, but felt a little awkward whenever Riku came by. She knew it wasn't the kiss that he gave her, since she actually, kind of, _sort of_ liked it. Maybe it was the fact that was so sudden, but she had to get over it. Riku was more or less her partner, and she had to come to terms with it.

"…Hey, I saw the photo that you threw into the fire," he said, leaning against a pillar as he stared at Aura. "What was it?"

"…Stella," she replied, crossing her arms. "Ryan showed them to me, a photo of Marie's parents. I can't let Marie know about Stella's true identity, since she already has so much on her plate."

"That's really thoughtful of you," he said. It was true, though, and having Stella known to Marie would driver her further into losing her self-identity. Aura had tried multiple times to contact Stella, but it was as if she lost the connection. Aura had a feeling that Stella actually cut the connection instead.

"Listen, about that kiss," Riku started, and Aura cursed to herself. Despite having been apart, she certainly picked up on Axel's cursing. She had to talk about it sometime, even though she was keeping her distance from Riku ever since the kiss.

"I'll be honest; I liked it," she said, and an immediate smile crept on Riku's face. She sighed though, since the biggest reason why she had that awkward feeling was because of the consequence that kiss could lead too, "but you realize that I'm a Nobody, and when I become whole…I become Marie."

Riku quickly looked away, and sudden realization hit him. She was right, when Aura goes back to where she was from; she becomes someone that Riku has a platonic relationship. He clenched his fists, and looked at the floor. This wasn't fair, and for some reason, it never is.

"But I guess we can enjoy what we have now," she said as she got up. She created a portal, and looked over to Riku. "Come on, lover boy. I think DiZ has some things for us to do."

Riku smirked, and chuckled lightly at this. She had changed, and it was thanks to him. He felt proud, and figured he would enjoy the moment. Deep down in his heart, though, he wanted Aura to be her own person, and not tied to Marie.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

"He didn't even fight you guys or anything, what a wimp," complained Ryan, who scratched the back of his head. "I mean, you guys say he's part of some evil organization."

"Yeah, but it's a mistake to judge so quickly," I said, walking beside him. "They may have some tricks up their sleeves, and they could be mocking us or something."

"Yeah! We gotta be extra careful," added Donald. Ryan shoved his hands in his pocket, and lowered his head down in shame. I felt bad for outing him like that, but Ryan needed to know this if he's going to travel with us.

"…Sorry, it's just, you need to know this if we're gonna be together," I said, placing my hands behind my back. "I can't let anything happen to you, Ryan. I'm sure my aunt and uncle would be devastated."

"You know, you're not like how I imagined," he said. This grabbed Sora, Donald and Goofy's attention, and we all looked at Ryan. "I mean, I didn't expect you to be this mature. I was hoping you'd be the scared little girl that I could protect, and maybe feel important…"

"Don't you feel important at home, though?" I asked, a little sympathetic with him. I understand his complex with inferiority, and it was somewhat freaky how it was the both of us, as cousins, who are experiencing this.

"Well, mom and dad don't let me do stuff," he said, looking away. I raised my eyebrow in confusion, what did he mean by that? I asked him, and he sighed.

"It's nothing, let's just keep going." He started walking faster, and I looked over to the other three boys, they shrugged, and didn't understand what Ryan meant, too. I decided to keep my mouth shut throughout the remainder of the walk. We walked through a new area, and it had a long bridge over…something that had flowing green water? I don't know, but it looked pretty weird.

What was strange was the air. I could feel my energy just seeping away, and I felt weaker by the minute. I noticed that Donald and Goofy felt the same way, and it was worse with Ryan, since he was coughing. Sora didn't seem to affected by it, but if you were to squint, you'd see that he was breathing heavier.

"Let's keep going," he said, placing his hands on his hips. Donald and Goofy started walking ahead of me, and I motioned my hand so that Ryan was walking in front of me. Sora took the front while I took the back. I guess the only good thing I feel about myself is that I'm able to force enough energy to be at the same level as Sora. We proceeded to walk deeper into the cave, and the willowed wisps that appeared sent chills down my spine.

This place is so not my kind of place, but then again, who would like this place besides Hades?

**ଓ  
>Hades<strong>

"By the by, uh…what's down there?" asked a very curious Pete to the cruel god Hades. They were standing over a fountain, which Hades referred to it as the 'underworld's deepest dungeon'. He explained about bringing the mother of all bad guys, so that Hercules will finally give up with the silly tournament.

Pete was scared, and he backed up a bit while he let Hades do his thing. The god conjured up two fireballs, and sent it to the fountain. A great burst of air appeared, and sparks popped up. A red smoke appeared, and behind it was a warrior clad in red. Hades laughed bitterly, and crossed his arms. "Let's cut to the chase, here's the deal I'm gonna offer you. I let you out of the slammer—no strings—you'll be free as a bird. All you have to do is fight Hercules to the death!"

A short silence appeared, and the warrior in red growled. "This is _my_ story, and you're not part of it."

The man went into fighting position, and Hades grew furious. He wasn't happy that the man was going against him, and warned him. "Did you forget who you're talking to? I am the lord of the dead!"

"Heh, no wonder no one wants to die," the warrior smirked.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

We ran towards the next are when we heard grunting and a sword clashing. As we walked in, we saw Hades fighting with a guy in red clothing. We immediately took out our weapons, and I sent Ryan to hide. He ran to somewhere secluded, coughing along the way, and I kept my focus on Hades.

"You again?" he shouted, obviously annoyed at our presence. The man in red shouted for us to fight, but Hades pushed him to the ground. Sora, Donald, Goofy and I ran in front of him, and Sora told him to get up. He obviously wasn't getting up, so we had to defend him.

Hade's…hair? Turned a fiery red and we knew he was serious. He attacked Sora first, but Donald cast blizzara to cool him down, heh. I came in with my lower graded blizzard, and Hades shouted in pain. He threw fireballs at us, and I was able to bring up the shields to protect all of us. He completely disappeared for a moment, and then appeared behind Donald. I quickly pulled the trigger of my keyblade, and the stars went shooting at Hades. They didn't even hurt him, and I suddenly felt myself getting weaker. I tried to get near the rest of the gang, and they were exhausted, too.

"I feel funny," I said, rubbing my shoulder. Sora added that something was wrong, and I fell to my knees. Why do I feel so weak?

"That's right! See, that's the thing," he said with such energy. I groaned in pain, and he waved a finger at us. "Down in the underworld, heroes are zeroes—it comes with the territory."

"Oh, no…Ryan!" I tried shouting. I looked over to him, and a poof of smoke appeared. Hades had Ryan by the throat, and he wasn't looking too healthy. The man in red stepped in front of us, and held that big sword of his over his shoulder. He told us to get away, but I shook my head, "No! Not without him!"

"Uh-uh-uh!" Hades teased, his grip on Ryan looking a little tighter. "Think of him as a present you're giving for interrupting me!"

"S-stop! You're hurting him!" I cried out, I wasn't going to let this cheater of a god take my family! I tried running towards him, both Sora and the man in red grabbed my wrists. "Let. Me. Go! Let me go!"

"Marie…," I heard Sora mumble. The man in red was able to pull me away, but only because he was stronger. Hades was about to throw a fireball, but Sora and the man in red were able to drag me away from it.

**ଓ**

As we made it out of Hades room, Sora and the man closed the door. I panicked, since Ryan was still with Hades. Donald and Goofy held me back, but this isn't fair! Ugh, I should've just left Ryan with Meg!

"Is he gone," I heard Donald say. I fell to the floor, since my energy was draining. The man in red doubted it, and when Sora went to wipe the excess sweat from his forehead, out appeared Hades with Ryan behind him.

"Leaving so soon?" Hades mocked. Sora and Goofy jumped away from him, and I got up. I brought out my keyblade, and glared at the fiery god.

"I'm not leaving without my cousin!" I shouted. Hades kissed his teeth, and sported two fireballs from his palms.

"Hunh, so the girl bearing the power of Kingdom Hearts has family members with her?" he said.

"Marie! It's too dangerous!" I heard Sora say. Is the world telling me to leave my cousin behind? I'm not stupid, and I know something is wrong with him. How can I leave him in a place that _drains_ your energy! I couldn't really breathe now, and I actually felt it becoming irregular. I know this feeling, and I was having an anxiety attack. I clenched my fist, trying to die down the feeling, but it was getting out of hand.

I felt my forehead burning up, and I crouched down. I heard footsteps approaching, but everything turned hazy.

**ଓ  
>Sora<strong>

Sora didn't know what was going on with Marie, but she wasn't looking so good. She bent down, and grabbed her forehead. He started to run towards her, but as soon as he got close, a bright light surrounded her. Sora abruptly stopped, and watched as the light blinded Hades. When it faded, Marie collapsed to the floor. Sora gasped, and ran to her side. He looked over, and noticed Ryan getting up. He nodded towards Donald and Goofy, and asked them to help Ryan while he carried Marie away. They followed his orders, and Sora grabbed Marie as he placed her on his back. With the help of the man in red, the six—er, seven of them managed to escape Hades while he was shortly blind.

**ଓ**

They ran away from Hades, and they dropped to the floor. Sora gently placed Marie in the floor, while Ryan sat down near Donald and Goofy. He was still conscious, but he was barely breathing. Sora hovered over Marie, and stroked her cheek, hoping she would wake up.

"Her forehead… it glowed." The man in red stared at Marie's forehead, and closed his eyes for a moment. He opened them, and continued to stare. "It was in the shape of a heart."

"It must be her powers," Sora said, still hovering over the petite girl. She was too reckless, and she fainted trying to save her cousin. Sora sighed, what was she thinking? As he lowered his head, Marie suddenly got up, and he jumped and yelped in surprise.

"Geez, my head," said Marie, who was rubbing her forehead. She groaned in pain, but when she realized where she was, she yelled out Ryan's name. He grunted, and she looked behind him. She gasped, and got up quickly to rush to his side. "Are you okay?"

"N-not really…," he replied, clutching his chest. Marie lowered her head, and shook it. "This is my entire fault…," she said.

"Yes, it is," the man in red, said. "You were too reckless, and if anything you could've been killed. You're thankful that power of yours helped you."

"My power?" she asked, looking at Sora, Donald and Goofy. "What power?"

"I guess that power that's deep within ya," replied Goofy. Marie looked away from the rest of them, and continued to shake her head.

"I'm so sorry, I really put you all in danger," she sadly said. Sora walked towards her and bent down beside her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and she looked at him. He gave her his biggest smile, and patted her back.

"We're all okay, that's what counts," he said. Marie nodded, and smiled weakly. He helped her up, and she dusted off the dirt from her shorts. She walked up towards the man, and he merely looked away.

"Thank you for your help, I'm really sorry for the trouble I caused," she bowed down out of respect, and the man merely scoffed.

"You remind me of a certain young girl I once knew** [1]**," he said. Sora walked up beside Marie, and he placed his hands behind his head.

"You were amazing defending off the heartless while we escaped!" he said, "Are you a hero or something?"

"No, I'm no hero…I'm just an…," he stopped talking, and looked away, "Auron."

Everyone looked at each other, confused at the where the man was going with what he said. He looked back, and said it was his name. Sora got up, and greeted him to everyone else. Donald and Goofy jumped on Sora as they personally introduced themselves, and then collapsed because of the weight. "It seems we were fated to meet. Maybe you need a guardian."

Sora quickly got up, throwing the other two down to the ground. "A guardian? Thanks, but no thanks."

He walked past Auron, and Marie quickly followed behind, possibly to scold Sora for being rude and not accepting help. Donald and Goofy walked behind them with Ryan, helping him as he caught his breath. He was still in need of some fresh air, and Auron merely watched as they walked away. He chuckled, and couldn't help but wonder how similar they were to the last group he offered his services to. He was especially surprised at Marie, who acted so much like….

* * *

><p><strong>[1] Yuna! <strong>Unbelievably, Marie is a lot like Yuna. She's always getting herself in trouble, and she can't say no. Both Yuna and Marie sometimes doubt themselves, but they have they're friends to help them along the way.

**I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night****! He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight!**

- Bonnie Tyler's 'Holding out for a hero' BEST SONG EVER PLAYED IN SAINTS ROW 3! Besides power by Kayne West.

**Lvl-ZeR0:** Haha, thanks. Sure, as long as you don't do any of that, we'll have a very long and prosperous friendship. Ugh, I'm too scared to eat anything at the moment, and I've been drinking aloe vera to fill myself. The doctor said that it's just paranoia, and when I'm starving it'll go away. -_-

**SisterOfScarletDevil: **I know, right? Poor her, she doesn't realize the pain she's setting herself up to.

**grapejuice101: **Yeah, being sick is no fun. DX and unfortunately, Marie is too weird to know. She needs to remember ASAP….or it'll be too late.

**Dracula X: **Yeah, I made it to be like that. However, they both enjoyed it, but it's a forbidden love! Marie doesn't know any better…poor girl.

**HopeReincarnated : **Aw, it's okay, I didn't mind answering. Yeah, we've been friends since the beginning of high school, and he hadn't told me about it till after we graduated. Just like Ryan, he's really ashamed of it. I'd be stuffing food in my mouth if I was super skinny. I'm probably a little over average. Oh man, I hare shopping around with my parents, they take forever to shop. DX

**Shadow 1n2: **Haha, well the following chapters will go something along like that. But Marie won't try to stay away, since I need to put in a negative trait to balance her out. I heard about the new game, and I'm really excited. I don't have the system for it, but I'll be watching the walkthroughs, hopefully. Oh, I think I heard of that game, it involves a girl and a guy fighting off monster zombies, right? I think I saw it at a premiere for the video game awards.

**Lele-the-Greek-Geek: **yeah…the bed talking is not so much a good idea. I don't think I want to know what I do in my sleep. Haha, you know me, girl! I just need to cool it down now, and then unleash another surprise with them again later on. I really like them together, but it is a forbidden love….or is it?

You'll really like Ryan, he's my comic relief, and a flirt to boot. Lol, Sora. Yeah, he feels proud of what he does, because he's so 'special'. XD

**starlightmint72: **Yeah, a part of her is missing, and she'll try to find it when the new game comes out. Yeah, you're sort of right. It's foreshadowing the future with Aura. She's the princess, Roxas is the younger prince, Axel is the older prince and Riku is the commoner. The half-sister is Marie. XD she does freak out, which is understandable. I mean you live out your own life for ten years and then suddenly POP, a cousin! Thanks for pointing it out, I changed it. XD maybe it might trigger something, maybe it won't Ryan is REALLY bad with names, like seriously bad. He always remembers a pretty face, though.

I'm super glad you really like it! I'm trying my best to put as much detail and original scenes in this story, since it's one of the biggest games in the series. It's not boring, since KH2 is my favourite KH game. I really want to make it epic, and I need to make sure every chapter is good. XD


	22. Marie, you're amazing!

I hate leaving people out of the loop, so I'll tell you now. I've already made small preparations for the next game, and started drawing out some ideas. Check it out!

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/The-other-Marie-275110266

**Marie's casual wear:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Two<br>ଓ  
>Marie, you're amazing!<strong>

We made it back to the entrance of the underworld, but there was a door blocking us from heading towards the coliseum. On our way here, I held onto Ryan, who was looking even worse by the minute. Sora looked up, and noticed a lock on the door. Auron asked him if his keyblade could open it, and Sora agreed.

However, as luck has it, a huge looking, three-headed dog came running out from the inner cave. I groaned in annoyance, and Auron told us to hurry. I stood there in shock, was he going to fight the monster by himself? Sora stepped in, and told us to hurry instead. I raised my eyebrow, but then I looked over to Ryan. If I don't get him upstairs, there's no telling what could happen. I looked down and sighed, and decided with what my brain told me to do.

"If it gets too much, just run!" I said as I started running towards the door. Sora unlocked it as I ran, and both Donald and Goofy followed along with Ryan. A barrier appeared behind us, and Donald placed Ryan on the floor and started to worry. I looked at him and Goofy, and nodded, "you guys stay here and support Sora while I get Ryan some help," I said as I pointed to my cousin. They agreed instantly, and stayed behind.

I ran over to Ryan, who was sitting down and clutching his chest. I flung his arm around my shoulders, and got him up slowly. He grunted, and we started walking fast towards the coliseum.

**ଓ**

As soon as we reached upstairs, we walked across the entrance, and entered. We saw Meg, who seemed to be waiting for someone, most likely Hercules. She saw us walking, and gasped, as she came to help me. "What happened," she asked.

"We're going to need another plan to make Hades stop," I said as we sat Ryan down on one of the pedestals. "But I'll explain it soon, let me just take care of him."

Meg stood there a little dumbfounded, but I didn't expect her to take it all in at once. while she stood there, I healed Ryan with my spells. When he still wasn't breathing properly, I was getting really on edge. Is there something that I'm missing?

"Ryan, if there's something wrong with you, just tell me," I said, with a concern yet strict tone. He shook his head, while still breathing inadequately. I groaned, and tried healing again. He was still having trouble, and I got more than annoyed at this. "Ryan, please! You could get in serious trouble if you know something and won't tell me!"

He groaned in return, and muttered something, "….A…..an….anemia…"

I eyes widened, Anemia? That was an illness, wasn't it? if so, then Ryan needs some herbs! I got up, and looked at Meg, "Do you have any herbs, like cherries?"

She looked around, and walked towards somewhere. It was silent for a minute, but then she came back with some cherries. I was surprised to see them, actually, but I guess there are some things that are common in all of the worlds. I took the cherries, and I asked if she had a cup of water. She went back wherever she needed to go, and I practically jammed the cherries down Ryan's throat.

Meg came back with the water, and handed it to me. I thanked her, and gave the water to Ryan. He gulped it down, and his breathing was starting to get better. All he needed now was rest, and I wasn't moving until he got it.

"Why…cherries?" he asked, still breathing heavily. I looked at him, and then looked towards where Meg was. She was watching Hercules, and I sighed.

"I went to school in a world called Twilight Town, and I took a health class," I replied. "The book they gave us mentioned something about iron-deficiency anemia, and I just assumed you had that, so I asked for cherries, a fruit that's kind of rich in vitamin C."

"I'm diagnosed with it, but you don't know how many problems I have with it," he said, looking away from me. I finally understood him when he said his parents didn't let him do anything—they were just concerned for their son, which is totally understandable. However, I could also understand why he felt like he was a special case or something because of his illness.

"I'm sorry if I've been treating you different, but it was because you're the only family member I have with me at the moment," I said, placing my hands on my knees. "I've lost a lot of people growing up…my guardian, my friends, and a woman who I called "sis" most of the time. It's harder knowing that I had forgotten all of that, too."

"So you don't want the same fate to happen to me, huh?" he said. I dropped my shoulders as I sighed, and nodded. I do have a bad history of having people disappear on me, and I don't want the same to happen to _actual_ family. I looked around, and noticed Meg still watching Hercules. I know she likes him, but she's one of those girls who won't just admit easily. Still, it's still very cute how she cares for him on the sidelines. I'm pretty curious to see how he's doing out there, though.

As I let Ryan catch a breath or two, I got up and walked over to Meg. She didn't pay attention, and still looked at Hercules. I watched him as well, and honestly, he didn't look bad. Maybe Meg was just too concerned for the guy. I looked at her, and she _was_ very concerned. "You know, Hercules doesn't look so bad," I said.

"He's hiding it well," she said, not bothering to look at me, "But I know he's about to cave if we don't do something."

"I'm sure we will," I assured her.

**ଓ  
>Sora<strong>

Sora defeated one of the heads of Cerberus, and jumped back down to attack the last one. He was grateful to have Auron by his side, since the monster was strong. He looked behind him, and noticed that Donald and Goofy were still there. He was glad that they stuck around, but he would have liked it a little more if they were with Marie. Somehow, something told him that something was going to happen. The way she got up so fast after the use of her power seemed _unreal_, and he was a bit concerned about it. He did notice that her power seemed to have gotten stronger when she used it then.

As he kept fighting, Auron weakened the last remaining head, and Sora came in with the finishing blow. The beast growled, and both Sora and Auron ran for the exit. As Donald and Goofy hurried them up, they closed the door when they were on the safe side. Cerberus groaned in pain as he hit the door, trying to chase after the two warriors. Sora stuck his tongue out at the dog, and as he turned around, he noticed that Auron had left.

"Gawrsh, where did he go?" asked Goofy. Sora shook his head; that man could take care of himself. He was more worried about Marie, and he wanted to talk to Meg. He told the others about it, and they agreed. They headed off into the coliseum, leaving the dog to groan in pain yet again.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

Hercules finished another fight, and he walked in after. We said hello to each other, and then he asked about Sora. I had to come up with a lie to help Meg out, and I simply told him that Sora and the others were coming soon. Hercules got up, and I looked very closely at him; he did look somewhat fatigued, and maybe to Meg that meant something serious. Hercules _is_ a bonafide hero, so maybe he was about to give in.

He left for the arena again, and he waved bye to the both of us. I waved, and Meg still looked worried. I looked over to Ryan, and he was feeling much better. I was glad for that health class, or else I would've been stuck with a very sick cousin. He was taking it easy on the pedestal, looking at a trophy that Sora and the other two won last year. I remember sitting on the sidelines…until Sephiroth came out of nowhere. All I was doing was just taking out the gunk from under my nails!

I heard the jingling noise from my keychain, and then I remembered my necklace that I lost back at Mulan's world. I sighed, and touched my collar—I really miss that necklace. I wonder if I can go and look for it after we've done our business, that necklace means something to me, but I just don't know yet.

**ଓ  
>Hades<strong>

"Let me see if I got this right..," said Hades, tapping his nails on handle of his throne. "Those brat's keyblades work on any lock?"

"That's right!" replied Pete, sounding very proud. Hades chuckled and went on into explaining about an awesome underdrome that he had underground. He talked about it so highly that he regarded the Olympic coliseum as a 'kiddie pool'. Pete told Hades that the Olympic coliseum was the place that he wanted to put Hercules winning streak to an end, but Hades drowned his spirits by telling him Zeus locked it up tight.

Pete began to think, but then he gasped as he looked at Hades. He chuckled, and nodded his head. "Bingo! If we swipe the girl _and_ her keyblade, we hit two birds with one stone. You get the girl, and I get my underdrome!"

Pete gulped, and mentioned one minor fault, "hate to tell ya, but that key is kind of particular. It won't work for just anybody, and that kid ain't no pushover."

"Change of plans, then," replied Hades. "We'll just call for a woman's touch."

Pete stared as Hades brought out a miniature scale of Megara. He personally didn't care about what Hades did, just so long as he completed his two goals: spread the heartless around the world, and kidnap Marie. Maleficent was still sore about not gaining the power that she had within herself, and decided that this time, she was going to get Marie and her powers. Of course, if Pete had known about Marie in the first place, he could've kidnapped her while they were in twilight town.

However, he still had time.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

I sat down and twiddled with my thumbs, and I suddenly heard Meg shudder. I looked over to her, and she was warming herself up. I raised my eyebrow, was it getting cold or something? I looked over to Ryan, who was actually taking a nap. I wasn't angry with him, because his condition took a lot out of him. I know now not to treat him differently because of his illness, but if it gets too bad I have to worry. I also need to let Sora and the others know about it, too, in case I'm not there.

Hercules came back from the arena, and he was looking worse by the minute. At this point, it's very obvious, and even I was starting to worry. He talked to Meg for a minute, and then looked towards Ryan. "I heard what happened, is he alright?"

"Yeah, he's just resting up," I replied. Meg went on saying why he couldn't do the same, and I felt like I was watching a married couple fight or something…which was very awkward. Eventually, Hercules decided to head outside, and I decided to stay behind and watch out for Ryan.

As soon as they left, though, I heard a whooshing noise. I popped my head up, and looked around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but then I saw something shine near the corridor that leads to the arena. I looked around, just in case someone was here, and I got up. Hercules, and Meg would be coming back soon, and I'm just checking out what that shine is. I walked slowly towards the corridor, and I felt a slow wind creep up on my arms. As I walked past the corridor, I raised my eyebrow, and looked around.

Somehow, I was teleported back into the underworld….

* * *

><p>Sorry for the late update, hurrz.<p>

Enjoy your week, everyone!

**Shadow 1n2:**

I love the Shrek version; I have it on my ipod! For some reason, I see Aura fighting when I hear the Shrek version. Haha, yeah! I liked Yuna in Final Fantasy X, and a lot better in FFX-2. I think Marie is more like Yuna in FFX-2, though. I'm actually really interested in how he plays out, and why he's calling himself Lea instead of Axel. And true, Aura can't help but curse. XD "infected" is still the same, lol. However, I guess whatever floats people's boats, right? Im actually curious why she is there, and what her connection to everything is. What if she becomes an infected in the end? =O

**Lvl-ZeR0:**

You actually don't have to worry about that. I don't get it every month, and when I do it's very minimal. I'll just tell you when I do get it, though, which won't be for a couple a months I think. Trust me, my guy friends literally poke me and ask when it's the time just so they can draw pictures in red and pretend I have cooties. XD I love Auron! It just sucks he has to go in the end of FFX, but his voice is heard in the end of FFX-2, telling Yuna not to give up! That's actually happened to me before. I laughed so hard and I died in Final Fantasy 9…I was all like, BWAAHAHAHAHA! *dies* …Aw, shoot.

**grapejuice101:**

Ryan will be the funny guy in the story, so expect more funny stuff. He's also a curser, so you'll see him curse a lot. Although they just met, Marie has always wanted to go back to her family. They're the number one thing in her life that's more important to her than Sora. XD I'll be sure to write more about it, but I think later on in the game. And oh yes, expect a double kidnapping! …Sorta.

**Dracula X:**

You believe that? Lol, well with the things that's happened in my life, I wouldn't be surprised if it did happen.

**SisterOfScarletDevil:**

Haha! Oh man, he won't want to be apart from Ariel! Isn't it awesome? I love all the versions of it. XD

**dracula-key:**

Lol, aw Aura. She just wants to forget. XD I actually like Charlie sheen to a degree, and he's very funny, so thank you! And well, I've had the stomach flu, flu and now I'm just finishing up with a cold, but I'm glad for the words, thank you!

**starlightmint72:**

Yeah, it is a fun game, and it's the first KH game where I've gotten to lvl 100 and beaten Sephiroth. XD Ryan will be important later on in the game; I guess you could say he's the trigger for a lot of things with Marie. In this chapter, he was the trigger for Marie unleashing a bit of her power. I assure you though, he'll be important. Thank you! I'll end up drawing a picture with Marie and Ryan.

**TheEpicBlueNinja:**

I love that song. XD yeah, it's incredibly awesome! You can do a lot of crazy stuff, but the story of the game is short. I hope they make it longer in the next installment. Lol, yeah, Ryan is horrible with names, but _eventually_ they'll come back to him. I know he'll mention Aura's name somewhere in the story.


	23. When the world goes opposite

I hate leaving people out of the loop, so I'll tell you now. I've already made small preparations for the next game, and started drawing out some ideas. Check it out!

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/The-other-Marie-275110266

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/Trinity-Possisble-KH3-outfit-277896384?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F25702087&qo=6

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/Line-art-Aura-for-KH-3D-277116064?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F25702087&qo=12

**Marie's casual wear:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Three<br>ଓ  
>When the world goes opposite<strong>

Sora walked towards the entrance of the Olympus Coliseum, and noticed Hercules walking outside. They both smiled and ran towards each other, with Hercules high fiving Sora. "You on another adventure?" he asked the three males.

"Yeah, tracking down some friends, taking out some heartless," replied Sora, waving it off as if it were nothing special. "You know, the usual."

"Junior heroes, always busy," cheered Hercules, who shook hands with the rest of the gang. Hercules offered them to go inside the coliseum resting room, while they talked about their past adventures. He also told Sora that Marie and her cousin where already there. Sora sighed in relief knowing that Marie was able to get her cousin safe. He had noticed that she was trying hard just to keep him safe, and he knew of all the problems she had when she was younger. Well, not _all_ of her problems, but he knew that she was kidnapped and taken away from her real family. He was shocked to hear that her real mother and father were missing, while Ryan's family adopted her.

As they walked into the room, however, Sora immediately noticed something wrong. Ryan was snoring on a pedestal, but Marie was nowhere in sight. He gasped, and looked around the room, hoping to see Marie sleeping as well, or wandering around the room. When he could tell she was nowhere, he turned around to Hercules and the others.

"Marie isn't here," he said, sounding as frantic as ever. Every time she disappeared, Sora couldn't help but worry. Hercules looked around, and scratched the back of his head. Donald and Goofy attempted to wake Ryan, but he was sleeping like a rock.

As soon as Sora was about to say something, a short figure appeared from the hallway that lead to the arena. It was Marie, and she came back smiling. Sora sighed in relief, and walked up to her. "Where did you go?" he asked.

"Oh, I just wanted to see the crowd, they're really roaring out there, huh?" she replied while chuckling. Sora smiled lightly, and they all huddled close to each other. As Sora and the others began to talk among each other, Marie had a slight smirk on her face, one that looked villainous.

Sora talked about their encounter with Hades, explaining that the underworld had a draining effect on them. Hercules mentioned a stone that helped prevent that—the curse of the underworld, and Sora asked if they could use it. Hercules agreed, but told them that Hades was no stroll in the park to take on alone, so he offered them to train with Phil.

"Awesome! I really want to get my work-out!" Marie exclaimed enthusiastically. Sora gave her a weird look, and wondered when she suddenly became interested in training with phil. As he recalled, she very much hated the idea of training and fighting in general. She only fought to protect and help, but fighting for fun was not for her.

He shook his head, and agreed with Marie. They walked through the corridors that lead to the training room, and Sora kept glancing over to Marie. There was something different about her, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. Maybe she did something with her hair, or maybe she freshened up. He just couldn't tell.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

I crossed my arms, and tapped my foot on the ground. Whoever created this trick, or prank, was sure going to get it. I looked around and noticed I wasn't too far from the exit, so I walked as I headed back to the entrance. When I was close to the exit, I heard the noise of shuffling feet. I looked around to see if anyone was there, and I hoped it wasn't Hades.

A dark portal appeared in front of my eyes, and out appeared a man dressed in a black cloak. I gasped, and quickly took out my keyblade. The man looked like he was hesitating, but that didn't make my lower my guard. He grumbled some words, and lowered his head—and then he suddenly took out his weapon...which is a guitar? Maybe this person is a bard or something.

"If you come with me, we won't have to fight!" his voice sounded as if it was trying hard to be macho and in control. I raised my eyebrow at this, seriously. I didn't falter, and I was even getting ready to cast a spell. He yelped, and when I cast the spell, he jumped out of the way. Well, at least he's nimble—I'll give him that much.

"What would make you think I'd come along merrily?" I asked. Seriously, though, it would take some serious convincing for me to tag along. "You're the enemy!"

The man laughed, and I was starting to realize that he was the same man who we saw earlier. I lifted my keyblade, and when he spoke, I was suddenly caught off-guard.

"What about your childhood friends back at Hollow Bastion? You know, the red head and the one with blue hair?" he chuckled and I looked away. Who was he talking about….my childhood friends? Aqua…? I couldn't help but stand here and think who they were, and when I looked back at the man, a big splash of his spells attacked me.

I was thrown to the ground because of the impact, and I groaned in pain. For someone so hesitant to fight, he sure was strong! I couldn't even see his face, since it was covered by that darn hood of his. As I tried getting up, I was hit with another wave of his spell attacks. I looked up, and noticed that his spells weren't even spells—they were bodies of water! I was being slapped around by water, and it was not cool! I quickly got up, and the man was going to fire another round of his water friends. I manage to dodge them, and I had to retreat to get away. I ran deeper within the cave, since the guy was blocking the entrance, and I had to hide for the time being.

As I ran further in the cave, I noticed the guy stopped chasing after me, in fact, I think he disappeared. I sighed, and proceeded to the entrance. As I walked further in, the area started getting darker. I literally blinked, and I was transported even _further_ into the darn cave.

What the heck! I just want to get out of here already.

**ଓ  
>Stella and Dante<strong>

Stella had been sleeping a lot lately, and for some reason, she was getting tired frequently. She sighed, and lied down on the pod. Not having to worry about something was boring, and Stella didn't do boring. She closed her eyes, and started feeling drowsy again. She sighed, and decided to get up.

She walked over to the main control room, and the screen was planted on a sleeping boy. Stella gasped lightly, and quickly ran to turn off the screen.

"I thought we weren't going to watch over Marie," she said, looking away from her husband but clearly mad. Dante was sitting down, and didn't look away from the screen. He was speechless, and opened his mouth to try to say something. Instead, he got up, and started walking away. Stella kissed her teeth, and grabbed Dante's hand, bringing him back into the conversation. "What is wrong with you?" she said, a little too angry.

"Ryan, he..," he could barely finish the sentence, and he looked away as he sighed. "He was talking to the big guy, and he mentioned that his parents are Eli and Leah. He's Marie's cousin...my nephew."

He looked over to his wife, and glared with uncertain hate. "And what's worse is that you knew. My wife, who supposedly, is supposed to be honest with me."

"Don't put the blame on me," she said, feeling guilty. Although true, she knew about Ryan's birth, she was just as surprise to know about his activities with Marie. Being pregnant for Stella was an unpleasant adventure, since her husband went out and fought against evil. With the help of her mother, Dante was able to fight their enemy, but the results were dastardly. He was never around when Eli told Stella that he and Leah had another child. Heck, Marie wasn't even born on Destiny Islands. "With everything going on, I only had my focus on you and Marie—"

"So does that mean everyone we care about means nothing!" he shouted, sounding even more angry and regretful. "You know, sometimes I wonder what my life would've been if I hadn't met you."

Stella froze, and her heart felt like it stopped. Never once did Dante ever yell at her, and never once did he question his love for her. This was something new to her, and she wasn't sure how to handle it. Should she get angry, or try to calm him down? It was tough for her, since it involved the only person who truly understood her. However, he continued, "_maybe_ Trinity would still be alive. _Maybe_ I wouldn't be here and _maybe_ I'd be a father to a child who wasn't so damn far away!"

"D-Dante…," was all Stella could say. She was pretty much on the verge of tears, but her pride and stubbornness prevented her from doing so. Instead, her anger got the best of her. "You know what? You had the chance to back out, but you never took it! Therefore, it's _your_ fault for sticking around! As much as I love you, I _never_ forced you into going _anywhere_ with me!"

"And guess what? I _regret_ it all!" he shouted back, with an almost visible vein appearing from his forehead. "Thinking back on it all, I sacrificed so much. I sacrificed my sister, my own _blood_ just so that I could be with you, and I regret it! I sacrificed my life by staying in this…hell of a place! And most of all, I sacrificed the chance to be a father. My daughter is running around, risking her life, because we're in here! If you hadn't made contact with her that day, she'd be at home living the life I want for my children!"

Stella was trying hard not to cry, and she took a deep breath. She glared at Dante, and stomped out into a secluded area. Dante only stared, and he punched the wall as he shouted. "Run away! That's all you do! You never do anything that will harm you because you're always making others do that!"

As soon as she entered into a tight-lock room, she slapped her back against the wall, and started to cry uncontrollably. It could be said that everything that happened was her fault, but she really wanted to think that she helped saved the world. She never wanted to harm anyone, but she couldn't help it. Stella was in every way like her daughter—scared and unsure of what to do with herself.

* * *

><p>…Yeesh.<p>

Well, it was bound to happen. Being with someone for what, ten years? Can make then coco. The question now is what will Dante do? If they manage to escape Kingdom Hearts, will he still be with Stella? Or will he be like his own father and leave the family to fend on their own? Only time will tell.

**Shadow 1n2:**

Oh man, I would so use it in the fight in Hollow Bastion, and I think it would suit the situation I have for that scene! XD Yeah, I mean you can put both of them together because Marie has that, "I need to help everyone" thing that Yuna has, and in ffx-2 Yuna jumps into trouble. Marie sometimes does, but only when she feels personally obliged to it. I noticed that, too, and now that I think on it I think Lea was a guy who did "dirty work" for Xemnas. I wanna know how the others came in, too! Whoa, I didn't know there was a new men in black movie, lol. Ew, and bio! I hate bio, but I do love astronomy.

**grapejuice101:**

Well, I don't want to make it that easy, but she does appreciate him little by little. And well, it's a failed kidnapping, since Demyx kinda sucks at fighting. We gotta worry about the imposter!

**Dracula X:**

I do and I don't. It's really confusing for me, lol. But basically, I'm just waiting to see if it's true. I'm more of a sceptic. They do have one, but it won't be revealed until way later on. I'm thinking of calling it, "hearts unlocked." And I'm still thinking of an attack, lol.

**Captainface:**

He'll be fine…I hope, and something tells me that Yuffie will be involved…and not only will you see his form, he'll be strutting his stuff. 'Cause he's so hot that if you touch him your fingertips start sizzlin'. -_-

**starlightmint72:**

He'll be triggering a lot of things, but the one thing he won't be a trigger for until the very end I think is the identity of Stella. He will remember Aura's name, but her name alone won't mean much to Marie until later on.

**TheEpicBlueNinja:**

Thanks! Let's see, I pronounce it the French way, so it would be 'Maree' lol. I wanted to just name her Claire, but then I scraped the idea lol. XD

**dracula-key:**

Actually, that will be Marie's power field. She sees that she sucks at physical fights, so she'll sooner or later dub herself a white mage or cleric or something to that extent. Yep, to be precise it's wild cherries that are considered natural remedy herbs to help regulate iron deficiency. It also helps with colds. I make sure I look up my sources and information before I write anything, just so I don't have people telling me otherwise.

**Lvl-ZeR0:**

Thank youuu! And well, I eat chocolates that time so it doesn't matter. I'm technically not allowed to eat chocolate though, since it's supposedly bad for my eczema. I wonder that, too…I'm going to say yes, though! XD

**guitarqueen136:**

Wow, I'm surprised and happy to see that you remember that! XD although that would be a good idea, Atlantica is filled with funny stuff, especially Marie being pissy about the fact that she has no boobs. Thank you so much for reading!


	24. Clones, what are you gonna about them?

**Marie's casual wear:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**Marie in 3D:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**om/art/3D-version-of-Marie-Final-280424908

**A\N:** I couldn't log into my account for some reason, and It kept giving me some error message. Anyways, I'm back with a new chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Four<br>ଓ  
>Clones, what are you gonna do?<br>**

Sora and the others met up with Phil, and trained a little to get in shape. Well, _more_ in shape. Marie had been acting different, and when she fought, it was almost as if she went berserk. She was strong all of a sudden, and Sora noticed she didn't have to use any of her spells. She was a bit rowdy as well, since she was trying to show off. This was a side that Sora didn't know about her, and he was rather irritated by it.

Even worse, when Hercules came in and warned them that the Olympus stone was stolen, Marie wasn't bothered by it. When he mentioned a man in a black hooded cloak, she cocked her head slightly at him. Sora agreed to get the stone back, so long as they're able to use after, and Hercules agreed. He asked if he knew where Meg was, but no one seemed to know.

That's when Hades came in, and started talking about the tournaments that Hercules involved himself in. Sora growled, and ran up to him. "Hades, we gotta talk!"

With little to no effort, Hades pushed Sora aside, and he fell to the floor. While this little quarrel happened, Marie had left the arena, and made her way into the underworld. There was business that she needed to handle, and someone to destroy. As Hades continued with his words, he told Hercules something with interest.

"Seems your little nutmeg got lost in the underworld," he said, and Hercules retorted by saying he kidnapped her. Hades chuckled, and couldn't help but be complimented for it. He mentioned something else, and Sora listened in.

"You should also check on that girl, seems she went to beat herself up," Sora raised his eyebrow at this, and looked around. Marie was nowhere in sight, and he was completely suspicious now. Hercules wanted to find Meg, but Hades warned him that "accidents" would occur if he did. Sora went in his stead, since he wanted to find Marie, and find out what Hades meant about her.

They passed by the waiting area, and saw Ryan biting his nails. He always had a habit of doing that, and he usually covered his hands with his sweater. He looked over to Sora and the others, and walked up to them. "Yo, Marie just left a while ago, and she looks mad. Did you guys do something to her?"

"No…," replied Sora, getting incredibly suspicious. She couldn't just storm out looking angry—unless she had reason to, and he was really wondering if she was even Marie to begin with. "She's acting weird, though. Don't worry, we'll figure it out when I find her."

"You mean _we_," replied Ryan, making sure he was involved in whatever scheme they had for Marie. "I'm not letting you take all the credit for saving my cousin. she's _my_ family, after all."

"Yeah, but she'd be worried if I brought you along—"

"I'm a year older than you, Sora, I can take care of myself," he protested. Sora scrunched his nose in annoyance, Ryan definitely didn't act sixteen. He seemed a bit immature for his age, and nowhere close to Riku—who was the same age as him. He didn't know what to do though, since he didn't want to quarrel with Ryan.

"You're taking the blame if she gets mad." He was serious about it, too. The last thing he wanted was a raging Marie, and seeing how she apparently has no memories of the relationship they have together, Sora really didn't want to get on her bad side. Ryan nodded, and adjusted his cap while smirking at the three junior heroes.

"I'm on the soccer team, so I can kick pretty hard," he replied, sounding very proud. He was a goalie for his team, since he couldn't be anything else due to him problem. However, goalies were good kickers, since they often have to kick the ball far on the other side to get it away from them. Although his team only won one game during the season, he was still proud of them.

Sora nodded, and they left for the underworld. To be honest, Sora felt a little awkward around Ryan, and it was because he just came out of nowhere. Maybe, he thought, he'd talk about home. He looked over to Ryan, who returned to biting his nails. Sora shook his head, and started to speak. "So, how is everything back home?"

"Good," he replied. He pushed his hands into his pockets, and slouched a bit. "I mean, if you're talking about Kairi, she's okay. Tidus, Wakka, Selphie…everyone's alright."

"Gee, I wonder if everything will be normal once we return," he said, tying his hands behind his head. He was glad that Kairi was safe, and wasn't having any problems, and he really did miss her. In fact, he really missed home all together. "I can't wait to just sleep on my bed, but I think it's still messy."

"Who knows, man. I mean, all I used to do back home is go to school and come home to do chores. I had no clue there were other worlds out there," replied Ryan. He was shocked, and he was still getting used to the idea of there being more worlds other there.

"Gawrsh, there's probably a thousand worlds out there!" Goofy exclaimed excitedly. Donald quacked, and ordered the rest to stay focused. Sora and Ryan snickered, and they proceeded to head to the underworld.

**ଓ**

They walked down the stairs, and the first thing that Sora noticed was Phil—who was on the floor. They all ran, minus Ryan, to his side. Sora bent down, and helped him up while asking what had happened.

"I saw this black-hooded guy, so I chased after him," he said, rubbing his head. "Next thing I know, he turns on me and I'm seeing stars."

"That's the guy who stole the Olympus stone!" Sora exclaimed. Phil told him he went deep into the underworld, and he was only looking for a backup hero.

"Hero? You've could've just asked!" Donald proudly said. Phil turned to them, with eyes wide opened, and asked them if they knew anyone. Donald and Sora took out their weapons, and Phil dropped his shoulders in disappointment. "Oh, good one…," he pouted.

Ryan stepped in, and asked if they could hurry. Sora put his weapon away, and agreed.

**ଓ  
>Hercules<strong>

With a swift from his blade, Hercules cut a wound deep within hydra's neck. It growled in pain, and attempted to attack Hercules. He was able to block the attack with his bare hands, and used the sword to cut deeper into the wound that he first made. It shrieked, and fell to the floor. The crowd roared and cheered for him, and he thanked everyone. He was in a rush, though, since he needed to save Meg. So leaving the hydra there dead, Hercules ran to meet up with Sora, Donald, Goofy and the new boy.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

I was getting closer to the entrance, and I was so thankful for it. I was getting tired, and this draining effect was annoying. I sighed, and stopped while bending down to catch my breath. Maybe I was just getting lazy. I mean, all I really did was eat those sea-salt ice creams, and doing cartwheels doesn't really cover it. Plus, I had been practicing fighting with my hands with that old martial artist. Even then, I forgot most of the moves by now. I just know how to block. Yeah, I think I'm just getting lazy.

I stood straight when I started hearing footsteps. I was getting paranoid, and I started walking slower. When the noise stopped, I took a deep breath, maybe it is paranoia. As soon as I started walking normally, I felt something slap my back hard. I grunted and fell to the floor, and when I looked back, I felt like I was staring in the mirror.

Except it wasn't, and I was wondering what kind of sick joke this was. As I stood up slowly, I was faced with a person who looked _identical_ to me. I gulped, and I felt like the spit wouldn't go down my throat. This was getting freaky, and as I continued to stare the girl had a calm look on her face as she smiled. No, something was definitely _wrong._

"What—what do you want?" I asked, standing on guard. She took out her weapon, which looked identical to mine. She dealt the first attacked, and it was fast too! I fell to the floor after the impact, and I was shocked at how strong she was, since considering she looked like me. She brought her blade up and attempted to stab it where I was, but I rolled away in time. I got up quickly, and panicked—what is this?

**ଓ  
>Xemnas<strong>

As he looked out the window and into the dark city of his world, or so he claimed, he placed his fingers on his chin, and thought upon his recent creation. Although it wasn't anything like the replica they created of Riku, the replica of Marie would serve more useful than Demyx. Of course, with the invention that Vexen left behind, it was only natural they would do something like this. They didn't know how the machine worked _exactly_, and the data they used was from Aura. Brought into the organization, Xemnas was able to replicate an image of Marie, but it was flawed, since it had no personality to match the look. He could care less, so he paired it with a strong personality; something that neither Marie nor Sora would be able to overcome.

There was also Aura, but Xemnas was confident that she had her own problems to deal with. In his eyes, she was already a lost cause, a puppet with nowhere to go and following any orders she can receive. She was less of a puppet than Xion, obviously, but Aura was a puppet to destiny, and her fate already decided.

**ଓ  
>Sora<strong>

Donald and Goofy were already starting to feel the curse of the underworld, but Sora had a little more energy than both of them did. Ryan was handling himself pretty well, but that was because he walked and stayed calm most of the time. Sora understood that he shouldn't overexert himself, and peeped over to his location every so often.

They walked further in the underworld, and Goofy was a little worried about Marie. Sora couldn't help but agree, but he wasn't understanding her newfound personality.

"Well, maybe the curse does something else," Ryan said, butting into the conversation. He didn't really know what they were talking about, since he was snoozing off when Marie was showing off. Sora knew something was off, but he couldn't tell since it was definitely Marie.

"Maybe we should ask her," suggested Goofy. True, there was nothing wrong with pointing something out. Sora needed to point out this change of personality from her, or else he would never know. They walked into the next area, and Sora began to hear blades clashing, although faintly. He tilted his head in confusion, and wondered who was fighting in this place. He looked over at Donald and Goofy, who nodded, and ran to see what was going on. Ryan sighed, and ran just enough to keep up with them.

What Sora next was a little weird, especially in this sort of place? He was faced with Marie, but there was another Marie beside the first one. His eyes widened, and slowly walked towards them. Donald and Goofy were just as confused, and Ryan just stood there with his hands in his pockets. It wouldn't be so out of hand if he had twin cousins, in fact, he'd probably believe it.

"Sora! This girl is trying to copy me!" said the one with the keyblade. The other had put her keyblade away, and walked a little away from the other. She shook her head, and literally raised her hands in defence.

"I-I'm still not even sure what's going on…," she said, one eyebrow raised in confusion. The Marie with the keyblade growled, and used her free hand to push the other. She didn't know her own strength, though, when she pushed the other one hard to the floor. She landed with an 'omph' and didn't bother getting up, since she was just confused. When she looked up at the other Marie, she gasped, and noticed something shiny and dangly around her neck.

"My necklace!" she shouted, getting up quickly enough to point at it. "That's my necklace, give it back!"

She marched over to the other Marie, and tried prying the necklace off her. Sora watched this, and noticed that one of them actually didn't have the necklace, and he found it weird. The one with the necklace easily pushed her off, and the one that didn't fell to the floor. She started getting annoyed, and kicked her feet in the air. "That's a one of a kind necklace! I lost it back at the land of dragons, now give it back!"

As she got up, Sora butted in and decided to deal with this. He looked over to the two of them, and found it difficult how they both looked _identical_. He was stumped as to what to do, so he scratched his head. He looked over to them again, and raised his eyebrow. "Okay, so…which one of you is the _real_ Marie?"

"I am!" they both said. The one with the necklace glared at the other, and she scoffed while she looked back at Sora. "She's obviously the fake one! I mean, she doesn't have her necklace!"

"But I lost it back at—"

"Excuses, excuses! Admit you're the fake one!" she said while giving a little cackle. Sora was completely convinced that the one without the necklace is the real one. He took out his keyblade, although hesitantly, and pointed it at the one with the necklace.

"Really, you're going to attack _me_?" she said, while waving her hand around and about. She was painstakingly confident in herself, and even Sora knew that the real one wasn't as confident as she is. No, he was certain the one with the necklace was the fake. Without a moment to lose, he quickly attacked her, but she was quick on her toes. She blocked the attack, and jabbed Sora's ribs. He groaned in pain, but still managed to fight back. He swung his blade towards her, but almost as if she had superhuman strength, took his blade and stepped on his foot. She dragged him down halfway, and brought him back up to punch him in the face. He bent down and shouted in pain. Marie gasped, but didn't know what to do, she was scared of this copycat, since she was stronger. She managed to run to Sora's side, and healed him of the pain he was feeling.

The other Marie lifted her blade, and pointed it at Marie and Sora. She was about to attack them, but then she felt a sharp pain hit her shin. She looked over and saw that Ryan had kicked her rather hard. She groaned in pain, and Ryan tried hard not to feel bad. It was never him to hit a girl, but this one was trying to kill all of them, so he had to do something. She looked back at him, and quickly elbowed his face. He shouted in pain, and she kicked him to the ground.

Donald and Goofy were up next, and they both decided to bum rush the fake. There was a wall near her, so it was perfect. They quickly ran towards her, but as soon as they could even touch her, she grabbed both of them and threw them to the floor. They shouted and quacked in pain, and refused to get up. She was just too overwhelming. With all of them down, Marie didn't even bother to get up. She was a coward, and she knew she had no chance on fighting that _thing_.

"I can hurt anyone I want, _you_ are not the boss of me—"she stopped talking when she looked up into the air. Marie knew this look, since she did it often when she talked with Stella. The fake one was hearing a voice.

"Ugh, they have such bad timing," she said. She created a portal, much similar to the one Xaldin made, and ran through it. She looked back one last time, and smirked at the gang. "I'll come back for you, don't worry."

Without a moment to waste, she escaped through the portal, and Marie was left speechless. "What…what just happened?"

"You're evil twin almost knocked us out, that's what!" Ryan said in annoyance. He got up painfully, and didn't know if he should be scared or amazed at how strong a girl can be. "Man, she fights like a man!"

"Gee, thanks. I always wanted an evil twin that fights like a guy," Marie said sarcastically. She sighed, and helped up Ryan while Goofy and Donald helped Sora up. They were all obviously feeling horrible from fake Marie's attacks, and Marie sighed when they referred her to that. "Can't we give her another name?"

"Girl who fights like a dude?" Ryan chuckled when he received a playful slap on his arm from Marie. Sora laughed, and both Donald and Goofy thought of a name.

"How about fakey?" Goofy suggested. The room grew silent, and everyone thought about it.

"Works for me."

"I have no problem with it."

"Yeah, but girl who hits like a man still sounds better."

Another playful slap was given to Ryan, but at least they had their name. Marie looked over to Sora, and noticed the necklace that he had. Although she never really noticed, what with trying to avoid Sora and all, it looked like hers. It was just silver. "Sora, your necklace…," she said, walking up to him.

"Yeah, it's the same as yours," he said as he took it off. He gave it to her to look at, and she examined it. It was a lot heavier than hers was, but that was because his was more male looking. She closed her eyes, and sighed. "I gave it to you last year, but you probably don't remember."

Her eyes opened, and she looked towards the ground. The fact that she felt the necklace give her peace of some sort…was that because Sora gave it to her? She shook her head; she didn't want to think about it. If he had given it to her, it was probably a parting gift, or a friendship gift.

"I don't remember, but thank you anyways," she said as she gave the necklace back. "If we have time, I'd really like to get it back. It's a gift, and it's rude to let it be lost like that."

Sora laughed and he, along with everyone else, proceeded to venture deeper into the underworld. Ryan and Sora had filled in Marie what had happened so far, and she was prepared to fight. Along the way, Ryan and Sora started talking, and Marie walked a little behind.

She couldn't help but stare at Sora along the way.

* * *

><p>Do I sense some repliku going on here? Or some Xion? Either way, Fakey was somehow made the same way those two were. Maybe in between, who knows? All we know is that Fakey is mean and a brute. Hey, my kind of villains!<p>

Marie is starting to think more about Sora, too. However, we're far from her falling in love with him again.

**grapejuice101:** Loll, sorry for the wait, some minor technical difficulties. Well, they all figured it out at the same time. And haha, the imposter will be seen quite a few times before her ultimate end.

**Lvl-ZeR0:** Well, you're very welcome! Well, either way, chocolate is bad for me cause of my eczema. So deny my temptation of chocolate and don't give me any.

OH MAN, THAT IS SUCH A MINDFUU-. My brain might explode.

**Shadow 1n2:** Haa, well I don't want Marie to have too many powers or forms. I'm trying to keep her simple. I thought Orgy 13 was made because of an experiment gone wrong at Hollow Bastion, or how they sunk so deep into the darkness. Why are games so confusing? -_-

But wait, I understand Roxas looking like Ventus, but Sora was born before Vanitas. Wouldn't Vanitas look like Sora? I cannot wait till 3D.

**starlightmint72:** Yeah, I know what you mean. It's because Dante is so passive, and he had this mentality that his wife was perfect and that she did everything for the sake of others. He slowly realized otherwise, so now he's going crazy. I can only hope and might spoiler by saying this, that either one will be freed from KH during the next story. Either in KH3D or KH3. Lol, I have many drawings scattered around my room, and most of them aren't submitted to D.A. I just like to doodle a lot. XD But hey, if you feel like drawing her, be my guest. XD

**Dracula X: LOL.** This made me laugh. I would have slapped him, too, but Stella is just too confused about everything to deal with it. Plus, she can't slap him if she feels like everything he said is right.

**SisterOfScarletDevil:** Oh noeess! D: Who knows if they'll make up!

**dracula-key:** It took a lot faster that you thought, muaha. But she's sticking around, so you'll see her for a bit. I do, too. _Sorta_. But he speaks the truth.

**guitarqueen136:** The third one! It's the third one! Evil clones are so convenient and interesting! Haha, I can see that happening too. Ryan is perverted, but he'd be grossed out if he even thought of Marie's chest. He'd probably rub it in her face while he stares are Ariel's.

**Trubeque:** Oh my, thank you very much! It's so nice to see another person reading this story! I hope you stay for the long run, as this story might take up somewhere around 60 chapters.


	25. Feelings are quite troublesome

**Marie's casual wear:**  
>www<strong>[dot]<strong>swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**Marie in 3D:**  
>www<strong>[dot]<strong>swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**om/art/3D-version-of-Marie-Final-280424908

**A\N:**  
>Hur-de-la-hur-dur.<p>

You know what I noticed? Sora was pimped slapped 3 times during the past few chapters. He got one during the army sign-up in Mulan's world, one with Beast in his castle, and not too long ago, by Hades.

I stand by what I say and that's that Sora can fight off a whole horde of heartless, but he can't prevent a bitch slap. OTL, you fail Sora…

Same goes for Demyx. He hates fighting, but god, he's so hard to fight during the battle of the thousand heartless.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Five<br>ଓ  
>Feelings are quite troublesome. <strong>

As we walked further into the underworld, we stopped when we saw a tall, lanky man standing in front of two large doors. He turned around when he heard our footsteps. "Ah! You!" he said.

He took off his hood, and out revealed a man with a blonde…mullet? He had bright green eyes, and a rather carefree look. He tipped his chin with finger, and started to think of something, and when he did, he raised his finger, "Roxas?"

"Excuse me?" Sora replied. The blonde man scratched his head, and tried calling "Roxas" again. When it seemed like it wasn't working, he sighed, and gave up. Sora got a little frustrated with this guy calling him names, and placed his hands in his hips. "What are you talking about?"

The blonde guy took out a piece of paper, and started reading it. Ryan and I raised our eyebrows in confusion, and the fact that this was just weird. He read aloud one line from the note, and I stood on guard. "Use aggression to liberate his true disposition," he said. He sighed, and put the sheet away, "Riiight. Did they ever pick the wrong guy for this one…," he sighed.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, still on my guard. He placed his hand in front of him, and almost scoffed away. "Now's not the time, Aura," he said. Now _I'm_ confused.

"Oh wait, you're not Aura. Yet," he said as he looked over to while smirking. Who is Aura?

"You're bizarre!" shouted Sora, not even bothering to take out his keyblade. The guy took out something small, round and gold. Sora, Donald and Goofy gasped, and Goofy pointed at the gold, round thing. "He's gotta be the thief!" he shouted.

Oh, so that's the stone they were talking about. "Well, that's just plain rude!" shouted the blonde mullet wearing man. He used the stone on himself, and he took out his weapon, which was…a guitar? Well, I won't complain.

Sora, Donald, Goofy and I took out our weapons, and I told Ryan to hide. He was reluctant at first, but he went anyways. The man chanted something, and suddenly, a bunch of water figures sprouted from his guitar. I looked around, and remembered being hit by the same water figures when I was teleported here.

"Argh, we gotta get rid of the water people! They're defending the guy!" shouted Sora. I looked at them, and they were indeed defending the organization 13 member. Sora immediately ran to rid most of the figures, and Donald helped by casting blizzard so that they were frozen. I decided to side with Donald while Goofy and Sora were teamed up fighting half of the rest.

With Donald freezing them, it was easier for me to kill them. I attacked them about two times before they broke apart, and Donald just kept freezing them. I figured that firing a spell _while_ attacking would be even more effective, so I did just that. As I ran to the next frozen figure, I chanted my fire spell, and the stars started lighting up. I attacked the figure, and the fire released from my blade. It fell quickly, and I was happy to know that the method was working. I did the same for the last little bunches of figures, and they started dropping like flies. When we were done, I looked over to Sora, who had finished bit earlier than we had. When we gathered, we looked over to the man in black, and he was slightly slouched.

"Roxas, come back to us!" he said before disappearing into his black portal. Sora scratched his head, probably out of confusion, and put his blade away. He looked over to Donald and Goofy, who could only shrug their shoulders.

"Guy's a broken record," Sora finally said. I sighed and shrugged my shoulders as well, these organization 13 members were odd, to say the least. "Hey, look!" shouted Donald.

He pointed to the floor, and we noticed the stone that the guy dropped. Donald walked over to it and picked it up, then brought it back to give to Sora. He raised it in the air, and the power from the stone released unto us. When it hit me, I felt this huge pressure off my shoulders, and it felt easier to breath. My knees no longer felt weak, and the feeling of tiredness was gone. "Let's go! Meg needs our help!" shouted Sora, and so we left.

It wasn't too long before we came into an unknown room. When we walked in, there was a thick pillar in the centre of the room and a string of dark purple smoke extended from that pillar. What was odd was that there was an engraved drawing on the pillar. Sora and I walked closer to the pillar, and he noticed a key lock on it. Since I couldn't open the lock, it was up to Sora to open it. He jumped back, and took out his keyblade. When the light appeared from his blade, it unlocked the pillar. The whole thing started lighting up, and it was almost blinding to the point where we had to cover our eyes.

When we opened them, the dark smoke disappeared, and a transparent pillar of light appeared instead. We looked up, and noticed there was another floor to reach. Donald entered the pillar, and he started floating upwards. My eyes widened, and I stood there while watching Goofy rise after entering the same pillar.

Sora and Ryan walked towards it after, and Ryan looked at it. "Pretty sick, man," he said as he whistled. "It's like a levitation spell or something."

Sora and I looked at Ryan with confused faces, and he looked back at us. "You know, you're not the only one who knows about magic…I've read some fairy-tales that use magic like this," he replied while laughing.

"…And what kind of book is that?" I asked, curious about the kind of stories Ryan read. He didn't really strike me as the reader type.

"Well, it was pretty cool. There was a knight who had to save a princess, but he couldn't so he had to ask a magician to help out and he gave him all these cool powers!" he rambled and rambled on about the story, and I started giggling. Ryan sure looked like a kid when he talked about something he really liked.

"Ah, well, I guess I'm talking too much." Ryan laughed nervously, and proceeded to float up to the next floor. I continued to look at the pillar, and soon enough Sora was standing near it. I looked at him, and he turned back to smile at me.

"Let's go," he said as he stuck out his hand for me. I continued to stare at him, and it felt like a whole hour before I walked towards him with my hand extending out for his. As I touched his hand, I started feeling dizzy, but I hid it so Sora wouldn't see.

As I walked to the pillar, he continued to hold my hand. He took a step into the pillar and he started floating up, but he stopped since I wasn't in the pillar. I slowly walked into the pillar, and I started floating as well. It was a little shaky, but when Sora grabbed my other hand, I started feeling even dizzier. My eyes struggled to stay opened, and I had to lean my head on Sora's chest. I guess he looked down, since I heard the chain of his necklace shift. I couldn't care if he liked it or not, since I could barely stay awake…I had to close my eyes. When I did though, I started remembering something…

_"Are you okay?" Marie asked. "You've been acting funny since we got here."_

_"aw," was what Sora said first. "I was hoping to do this in a prettier place. But, I guess here will do."_

_She gave him a questioning look, and he started grabbing out something. When he took out a golden necklace with a small crown attached to it, Marie had a feeling that this was why he was acting so weird._

_"This is for you," he said. Sora handed her the necklace, and looked at it. It was nicely made, and it looked pretty. Marie looked over to Sora, and smiled. "What's this for?" She asked._

_"So you don't forget me."_

When I opened my eyes, I noticed we were close to the top. Weird, I felt like I had my eyes closed longer than that. I shook my head, 'so you don't forget me'. Was the necklace Sora gave me something to remember him by? Was the feeling I got from the necklace because of that? Ever since I got my memory back, I've been feeling like I've been missing something. That necklace…maybe it's my ticket to remembering everything? Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention to it. As I looked up at Sora, I noticed he had a smile on his face, and I couldn't help but smile. He did have a nice smile, after all.

As he reached the top, he helped me after. I stood on my feet and looked around. Meg was in the room, tied by some dark-looking vines. She called out to us, and sounded happy that we came in time. Beside her, though, was Hades. We all gasped, and Sora took out his keyblade. "Gee, thanks for the help!" he said as she chuckled.

He left the other second, and Meg told us to look behind us. We turned around and came face-to-face with Pete, who had a bunch of bat-like heartless behind him. "What? Can't fight in the underworld?" he mocked.

"Better think again!" shouted Sora. Pete didn't look scared or intimidated, which meant that he was serious about fighting us. He smirked at us, and I glared back at him.

"It don't matter, once these heartless here take care of ya, I'll be gone with the girl!" he shouted while pointing at me. Now, what does _he_ want with _me_? It didn't matter, since I had full confidence that our team was going to win. Of course, with Meg around we needed to make sure she was all right. Donald and Sora took the lead attacks, while Goofy and I tag-teamed on protecting Meg. Ryan ran somewhere where it was safe from the fight, and we were all set.

With the batty heartless swarming the area, it was hard to hit them. They were small and nimble, and they can fly. I thought it was best if I used magic here, since that was much more accurate than my swordsmanship. I fired spells like blizzard and fire at the bats, and they started falling easily. Sora was in charge of taking down Pete, while Donald backed him up. I looked over to Goofy, who was busy protecting Meg. I ran up to him, with my blade defending me. "Let's switch!"

"Gotcha!" he said. As Goofy when blocking the bats away from us, I fired spells at the ones that came near Meg. After a while, we destroyed all of the bats, and all that stood was Pete. He placed a shield in front of him, which made attacking him impossible. The heartless re-appeared, so we focused on them for the meantime. They were easier to fight since Sora was joining in, and there wasn't a lot to begin with.

After a while of fighting the heartless, Pete's barrier started thinning out, and Sora immediately went after him. As soon as he could though, a horde of heartless bats swarmed him. He swatted them off, and returned to back to us. "There's too many!" he shouted.

He cut the vine-looking ropes off Meg, and opted to leave. Ryan came back to us, and we were on our way. However, when Pete came to stop us, Hercules stopped him! Yes! Strike one for the good guys! When Pete fell flat on his behind, he walked over to us, and apologized for his late arrival.

He whistled, and out from above came a white horse with wings. Hercules called his name, Pegasus, and told him to help Meg out of the underworld. By the name, I'm guessing Pegasus is a male. Hercules looked over to us, and told us to leave everything to him.

"What about you?" asked Sora, obviously hinting concern in his voice. However, Hercules replied saying he was going to show Pete not to mess with a real hero. Sora hesitantly nodded, and looked back at us to run. We all went down the pillar, and out came Meg along with Pegasus. Meg looked concerned.

"Sora, I won't leave him," she said. It was getting more obvious that she really did like Hercules, but I'm sure he can handle it. At least, that's what Sora thought. "Look, even Herc has his limits. He can't keep winning forever."

"Then we'll back him up!" retorted Sora. I guess we were going back, but I wanted Ryan to go with Meg. It was getting too dangerous, and he couldn't keep hiding behind a rock all day.

"Meg, can you take Ryan with you?" I asked, looking up at her. She nodded a little hesitantly, and I understood. Ryan _did_ flirt with her after all. Ryan looked over at me, and he looked angry.

"Come on Marie, don't you trust me enough to go with you?" he shouted. I wasn't really in the mood to argue, not that I ever am, but Ryan was really being stubborn.

"I trust you, but this is serious! You could get hurt!" I retorted.

"But I won't get in the way, and if they come at me I can just kick—"

"Please, don't argue with me!" I pleaded while shouting, and then he stopped talking. This was probably the second time I had to raise my voice at him, but he was being stubborn. I looked around, and noticed that the others were staring at me, and I closed my eyes. "Please, just listen to me. I'm not feeling sorry for you, if that's what you think. I just want you to be safe. So, please…"

Ryan sighed, and waved his hand at us like nothing as he walked towards Pegasus. I looked away, and he started getting on Pegasus. He started flying towards the coliseum, and I looked at Sora and the other two guys. "We should go."

"You okay?"

"Just fine."

I know Ryan meant well when he came to find his 'missing cousin', but maybe it would have been better if he had never came. I find it's like taking care of a child, and it's only been a while since he's been with us. I couldn't afford to focus on that, since our mission was to help Hercules. Donald and Goofy went up first, then Sora, then me. As we reached the top, we saw Hercules already to give out. Meg was right; Hercules really needed a break or something.

Hercules smiled and nodded at Sora and the rest of us, and we prepared for the fight. Something I didn't expect, though, was the fact that the cave started trembling. I looked around, and I noticed some stones breaking off from the bigger ones. Well, this isn't good.

"We got to hurry and finish this fight! The cave will give out if we don't!" I shouted. They looked around and noticed the same thing, and they nodded. Instantly after, Sora changed into one of his stronger forms, and as a result, Goofy disappeared. I looked around at the bats, and decided to deal with them while Hercules and Sora fought Pete. Donald was on my side while we fought the heartless, and we were handling them off well.

I used both my keyblade and magic to rid the heartless, and Donald concentrated on using his magic. I started using more of my magic, since I still didn't feel at all strong with my keyblade. Donald shouted for me to handle the left side while he dealt with the right side. I nodded and quickly swung my blade to the left, taking out at least two bats. As I rushed there, I grabbed my keyblade, and chanted the fire spell. My magic was more effective than my keyblade, but the heartless were going down, so it didn't matter. I looked over my shoulder to see how Sora was doing, since I just wanted to make sure he was all right. He was fighting like a pro in that form, and I couldn't help but feel jealous again. It seemed like everyone was fighting better than me. When I heard Sora yell, I looked over and noticed he was attacked. I raised my hand to cast cure, and he was healed shortly after.

It wasn't long before Donald and I took care of the heartless, and we checked up on Sora and Hercules. Sora changed back into his original form, and Goofy came back to us. Pete put up the shield again, but Sora jumped and kicked him while in the shield. Since he was in that ball of a shield, it went towards Hercules. He punched it hard, and Pete cried out in pain while he went flying after the shield was broken. When he came to, Pete got up quickly, and pouted as he spoke. "I'm not done with you yet, I'll get you guys next time!"

As soon as Pete disappeared, the trembling started getting worse. We all ran towards the pillar, to avoid a rather unpleasant ending. As we reached the pillar we were lead down to the lower level, but it still trembled.

"Let's get out of here!" shouted Sora. We all agreed, and ran as fast as we could out of the underworld cave. Despite the trembling and the running, I found myself still glancing at Sora. I tried looking away, but my eyes always went back to stare at him.

What's going on?

* * *

><p><strong>HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! <strong>I hope you guys are having a good day, even if some of you don't like V-day. **ST. PATTY'S DAY IS COMING SOON. WOOT WOOT!**

**Trubeque:**  
>I sent you an earlier review so I wouldn't prolong the answer, but to keep you updated we are still working on SAH. I've written the chapter, and all I am waiting on is for the last author to add some bits so that I can release it! XD<p>

**Shadow 1n2:**  
>Heh, yeah, Ryan has a way with nicknames. XD yes, although Marie will end up being a little more surprising come KH:3D or KH3. Well, I just recently saw a trailer, and young Master Xehanort mocked Sora asking him if he was the original Sora. So…who knows? XD Awe, that's awesome! I have many great friends with birthdays in March. They're Pisces, so I get along with them well.<p>

**Lvl-ZeR0:**  
>I'm glad you've had an awesome day! Oh, and well I like lollipops! Evil Marie won't be shown for long, or even live long. She's kind of like repliku. XD<p>

**grapejuice101:**  
>Thanks! Ah, yes! Now she does, but she's a little confused. That necklace will be big in her memories, since even Sora said it himself, "<em>so you don't forget me<em>." and fakey will appear soon, but her entry will be short and tragic. XD and yes, Ryan makes great comedy!

**starlightmint72:**  
>He actually forgot about her, or at least I think. However, I choose to think that he didn't forget her. True, I agree that no one can be perfect, and the only time I can actually say that someone is perfect is from a perspective of a baby. I saw a movie where a woman said that to a baby, mother is perfect. I want to think that with Dante, since Stella took care of Dante while he was sick. You're right, Dante does care more about Marie than Stella, since he's selfless. Stella is selfish, and she's always thinking that everything is about her, but that'll change soon. And who knows, she could stay there forever if it meant that Marie wouldn't have to follow her path. However, she's selfish, so who knows. Haa, well my scanner is working, but I'm tired of coloring with a mouse, so I want to wait until I can afford a tablet to start uploading them with colour. In the meantime, I'll probably just upload line-arts.<p>

**Dracula X:**  
>Mayyyybe, or maybe not. Muahaha. And yea, it certainly seemed like it. Fakey and Aura are both angry people after all. XD oh man, and I was watching that some time ago. Aw, Star Wars…<p>

**dracula-key:**  
>Bleh, yea. Timeless River is somewhat boring, but we'll see if I can spruce something up. I'm actually looking forward to Atlantica too, just because Ryan is there to cause some comedy! You know, I've been having the urge to make Ryan a starfish, just for the lulz.<p>

**SisterOfScarletDevil:**  
>Hehe. XD Well, stay tuned for the next chapter. XD<p>

**Captainface:**  
>Yeah man, though she ain't gonna be alive for long. Yeah, I decided to make a really evil one, that way when she's gone no one feels bad. Muaha. And Eiram?...lol, well whatever floats your boat. Heh, we'll you'll have to wait and see if that happens.<p> 


	26. Don't be such a child!

**Marie's casual wear:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**Marie in 3D:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**om/art/3D-version-of-Marie-Final-280424908

**A\N:  
>It's someone's birthday today~ Happy Birthday!<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Six<br>ଓ  
>Don't be such a child!<strong>

As we reached the entrance to the underworld, I bent down to catch my breath. We ran without a break, and I wasn't the best runner. Plus, running from the cave to the entrance is a long run, and I'm not _that_ athletic to begin with. As soon as I caught my breath though, we heard Hades' voice. I sighed in annoyance, there's just no running from this creep.

"Well, looks like you really did it this time," he said as he approached us. Sora argued with him, and then came in Hercules. Hades, being the evil under lord that he is, wasn't at all offended with what the guys said to him. Instead, he walked a little ahead, with his finger on his chin. "Hey, maybe you should check on that Hydra you neglected to finish off. I hear things are really _falling apart_ up there, champ."

Hades disappeared in a ball of smoke, and the moment he did I started panicking. Ryan's up there with Meg! I heard Sora shout Hades' name, but I was already running to the coliseum. I heard Hercules' footsteps not far behind me, and in fact, he outran me, but I was still running! When I reached the doors to the coliseum, I saw Hercules fall to his knees. I looked around the floor and noticed huge chunks of stone and pebbles, and before I could even look up, I felt Sora grab me as he pushed us to the side.

We both fell to the floor, but when I looked up; I noticed two big rocks covered the area I had been standing in. Sora got up, and offered his hand to me. I took it and he helped me up. "Thanks a lot Sora. I was almost squished!" I said, still looking at the rocks.

"Just glad you're safe." He smiled, and I returned it. After what I would call saving my life, I really had to owe him back…somehow. We heard a loud screech, and I looked up to see a long necked monster. Ew, is that the 'Hydra' Hades' was talking about?

After looking at the monster, I saw Phil, Meg and Pegasus run to Hercules side. When I looked back at the door, I noticed Ryan wasn't with them. I bite my lower lip, where is he? Sora, Donald and Goofy walked over to Hercules, but I stayed behind. I was worried about Ryan.

"Hades was right. I'm just a…a washout." Hercules punched the floor, and everyone frowned. Phil tried encouraging him, and even Sora tried, but it was no use. My eyes widened when Hercules' glow disappeared—like all the energy disappeared from him. Meg helped him up, and carried him off the fighting scene. I ran up to her, and asked where Ryan was.

"He said he was going back home, but wanted to take a nap first," she said as she brought Hercules away from the scene. "So he said he was going back to the ship or something if you asked."

Well, that's a relief. It didn't really make me happy, since he was probably offended or hurt from what I probably said. I sighed, and looked back at Sora, Donald and Goofy. They were getting ready to fight, and I willed my keyblade. I never liked fighting, but I don't want my friends hurt. I ran up to them, and stood my ground. Phil came in after, and looked like he was ready to fight, too. "Don't suppose you got room?" he asked.

"We're in, too." Meg, along with Pegasus, joined in as well. With all of us fighting, I hope Hercules can have the will to fight. Not because he's a hero, but to protect the things he loves most. As we all got into position, the Hydra screeched, and swung it's head around. We all managed to dodge it, but then it swung its tail at us. I barely jumped away from it, and I fell afterwards. Sora looked at me and I waved it off, I can't let them worry.

Sora attacked the hydra's foot, and it swung it's tail again. This time I was able to dodge it, and I used one of my spells. "Fire!" I shouted. The hydra screeched again, and it was annoying me already.

Phil shouted saying to slice it's neck, and Sora did just that. It wasn't that hard, and I was already smiling. As I sighed, I noticed the hydra dropped it's head to the ground. I walked over to Sora and the others, but then I heard the floor tremble. Uh oh…, don't tell me it's not dead yet!

I raised my guard, and when two heads popped out from the corner of the area, I jumped. Phil shouted again, and we looked at him. "Get on Hydra's back!" he shouted.

We all nodded at Sora, and he got on the hydra's back. We looked up, and saw Phil throw him one of the training jugs. He threw it up in the air and Sora jumped up while hitting the jug down towards hydra's back. It shouted in pain, and the two heads popping out from the sand fainted. This gave us an advantage, so Donald, Goofy and I attacked the heads while they were unconscious. It's a bit of a cowards move, but that couldn't be helped.

Sora and Goofy dealt with one of the heads, while Donald and I handled the other. it didn't take too long, since they were unconscious, and soon enough we heard one of the heads screech. With a few more hits and spells, Donald and I also managed to take out the other head. It screeched, and ducked back into the hole.

As soon as I could say anything though, the Hydra popped back up with six heads! Man, this fight is getting harder by the minute. We dodged some tail swinging, and I ran around just trying to avoid some of the dark smoky spells this thing had. Donald fired some spells and Goofy blocked some of the attacks that Hydra was sprucing up. After a while, we heard a neighing noise and saw Pegasus appear. He landed and whined for one of us to get on his back, and Sora offered. He flew around the multiple heads and Sora attacked each with Pegasus' help.

When they came back down Pegasus fled the scene, and Sora ran towards us. He looked over to Goofy, and they both nodded. Sora went into one of his forms, and started to attack Hydra with his two keyblades. Donald and I stayed behind offering back up with our magic. Donald mostly dealt with offensive while I focused on healing everyone. When one of the heads came dangerously close to hitting both Donald and I, I gasped. While placing the keyblade in front of me, I noticed a white light appearing in front of Donald and I. The head bounced off it, and I looked around. The shield… the shield that protected me back in Hollow Bastion came up again. It disappeared, and I looked over to Donald, who had thanked me.

I was still unsure of how these powers worked, and I wasn't sure of it was my own power, or the power of my clothes. Sora mentioned that my power activated back down at the underworld, but I passed out after. Even before then, my forehead started burning up when I warned Donald back at Beast's castle. It was obvious, actually. My own powers appeared when my forehead burned. I would figure this out after, and right now, I needed to concentrate on the fight. I looked over to Sora, who was still fighting the heads, and continued my spell casting. Sora returned to normal, and Goofy came back to us. Pegasus' came back in for a second fly around the heads, and Sora jumped on his back. They flew around the heads, and with each strike, they were getting dizzy. With the final strike to the last head, the Hydra leaned back and fell unconscious.

"Let's do it!" shouted Donald. Shouting for me to hit the it's belly while Goofy and Donald offered back up. I complied with his order, and Goofy and I ran towards the belly. I attacked it while Goofy rushed towards it with his shield. Donald fired a round of spells, and with a final screech, the Hydra limped over and finally gave in. Sora jumped down from Pegasus and wiped off the sweat as he stared at the Hydra.

Meg and Pegasus ran towards Hercules, who was safely sitting away from the fight. We walked over as well, and Hercules still looked down. "I let you down. I'm just…no use."

"Even a god gets exhausted," Meg said, trying to comfort Hercules, and Sora agreed. Goofy and I looked around, and noticed how the gym was in ruins.

"There won't be any games for a while, anyway," Goofy said as he looked back at Hercules. I looked down at the floor, and sighed. I excused myself from the chat, and wished Hercules, Meg and Phil, who was walking towards us the best.

I wanted to know what the deal was with Ryan.

**ଓ  
>Sora <strong>

As Marie left the scene, Sora looked down. He could tell that she was somewhere else mentally, and he felt bad. In some cases he felt like she would give up and ask to go home and that really bothered him. Even though Marie wanted to help as many people as she could, she was getting tired of fighting. He looked back over to Hercules and the others, and gave them all a smile.

"Well, we should be going, too," he said as he looked over to Hercules and Meg. Meg got up, and wished them the best, and that she owed them for having them help. It was nothing, and Sora only requested them to tell them whether there were heartless or if Hades started trouble.

"You guys should stay longer next time!" Phil said, as he looked at the three junior heroes. "We need to catch up on some serious training!"

Sora scratched the back of his nervously, but nonetheless agreed to it. As they were about to leave, Sora stopped in his tracks and looked back at Hercules. He stuck his hands into his pocket, and turned back. "I almost forgot to give you the Olympus stone!"

As he took it out and gave it to Hercules, it began to glow, and Sora looked back at Donald and Goofy as he smirked. He knew where this was going. The stone hovered above them all, and Sora took out his keyblade. A pillar of light appeared, and the stone revealed the keyhole of the Olympus Coliseum. A ray of light appeared from Sora's keyblade, and headed straight to the keyhole. With the noise of it locking, Sora willed his keyblade after the keyhole disappeared.

**ଓ  
>Maleficent <strong>

"And where is everyone else?" she asked, looking out into the window of the tower she resided. Pete replied saying that they probably had other matters to deal with. Maleficent grew furious, and was offended at how everyone would miss her return. Pete explained about organization XIII, but she still wasn't interested.

"Well that runt with the keyblade has been causing trouble, too you know," he said. Maleficent finally turned around from the window, and raised her eyebrow. "Oh, has he? I suppose that could explain your failure to bring back the girl."

"Why is she so important again?" he asked, a little afraid that he even asked it. Maleficent turned around again, and stared out into the window. "I still haven't forgotten about her position. She holds the key to controlling Kingdom Hearts."

"But I thought the little runt was the only one able to open it?" he asked again.

"Yes, that is correct, but the girl is connected to it's powers. Her forehead glows and it's not natural." Maleficent chuckled, and turned around again. "In the meantime, you better tell me what I've missed during my absence."

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

I walked towards the dormitories of the ship, and looked around for Ryan. When I heard the noise of the springs coming from a bed, I looked in the direction of a room next to mine. I knocked on the door, and I heard Ryan's voice signaling for me to come in. when I did, I saw him relaxing on his bed, well Goofy's bed, as he bit his nails.

"Did Goofy give you his room?" I asked as I walked in. everything seemed pretty….green. It was very Goofy, to say the least. Ryan grunted as he got up and sat on his bed. He scratched his neck, and looked up at me.

"Yeah, he's bunking with Donald," he said as he continued to bite his nails. "So, when the others come I'll see if I can ask to go home."

"Are you really gonna go?" I asked, feeling a bit guilty about it. "Is it because what I said?"

"Well, you said you didn't want me around, so….yeah," he replied. I sighed, and walked further into his room. I leaned against the chair that was there, and I looked down. Maybe it is best that he left, I mean, that way I wouldn't have to worry about him. However…he can't go home. If we can't go home, how is he going to do it?

"I think you should go home, only…we can't take you there," I said as I looked at him. I continued. "If we could go back home, I would dive at the chance, but somehow the ship just can't find Destiny Islands."

"Okay, well I was—"

"But we can leave you at Hollow Bastion. I'm sure Yuffie and Aerith won't mind taking care of you," I said as I looked back down. I heard Ryan get up, and I looked at him.

"Geez, you suck. I was trying to make you feel guilty so you wouldn't send me home, but you're so intent on sending me back," he replied. I looked at him with a blank face at first, and then I took a deep breath. He really is a child…

"Fine, you can stay," I said while I stood straight. I wasn't going to let him off the hook though. "But if I think that something is too dangerous, you are going back to the ship."

"But—"

"**No buts!**" I said with a stern and serious tone. He sighed, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Man, you're worse than my mom…," I heard him mumble.

I sighed, and walked past him. I heard him follow me behind, and I couldn't help but sigh again. I was starting to get a headache, and I was feeling grumpy. Maybe I'm over-worrying or something. As I walked into the main control room, Sora, Donald and Goofy were already there. "Everything okay?" he asked.

I gave him a weak smile, and told him I was fine. I think I just needed to sleep, nap, or something! I looked over to the trio, and I gave a weary smile. "Is it alright if I can sleep for a while, or until we reach the next world?"

"…Are you sure you're okay?" I heard Sora ask again. He looked at me with a concern look, and I waved it off, telling them I was just really tired. Donald and Goofy agreed and told me to rest up, and Sora nodded slowly. I kinda felt like he was analyzing me, and I felt the need to cover myself with my arms…though, I didn't since it would just cause them to think weirdly. I walked back to my room, and I closed the door while leaning on it afterwards. I looked over to my mirror, and saw the photo of my dad leaning from it.

I walked over to it, and sat down on the chair near it. I continued to stare at it, and a smile slowly crept on my face. The face that he had was very calm, and completely full of happiness. I want to look like that again.

"I wish I could look as happy as you," I said, knowing that he wouldn't hear me. There was this tiny flame of hope that lingered in my heart and that was the hope of finding my parents—even if I'm only able to find one of them. If that were the case, I'm kinda hoping it'd be this man, just because he looks so happy.

I got up and walked over to my bed, and lied down. I grabbed a pillow and held it in my arms as I continued to stare at the photo. I just hope…one day.

**ଓ  
>Dante<strong>

"I'd only be truly happy if I could be the father that you deserve," Dante replied as he watched Marie. It wasn't fair that he had to be in this type of situation. He sighed, and turned off the screen. I leaned back on the chair and crossed his arms as he stared towards the ceiling. He hadn't heard from Stella since that little fight, and she kept to herself in the resting room. He'd been sleeping in the control room since then.

He wanted to apologize, but at the same, he didn't. He stood on his ground when he said that she was selfish, but he never complained about it. The fact that he was married to the woman of his dreams clouded his view on her. Young love at it's finest, he thought. Now that they were fifteen years older, he had a lot of time to think. Of course, he was no saint either. He killed someone rather close, and did it to protect what he loved the most: Stella. She never got her hands dirty, and it was always him. He realized that, but decided not to go any further with it.

He sighed once more, and continued to stare at the ceiling.

**ଓ  
>Aura<strong>

She stood on top of the clock tower, and looked at the town. It was particularly windy, so it often made her hair messy. She looked back down to where she would sit with Axel and Roxas, and smiled. No longer did the memories make her sad or angry, instead, she was embracing those memories.

She found herself being somewhat happy, and wasn't always walking around with a scowl on her face. Of course, this was also because she hadn't seen or thought about Axel and Roxas. She knew that if she ever saw Axel, the feeling of sudden happiness would go away, and she wanted to appreciate the feeling a little longer.

Not even Organization XIII had been causing her problems with Marie. She wasn't sure if it was because of Riku, or that fact that she actually was letting go of her past. Either way, deep down within her mind, she still wanted to see Roxas, but the thought didn't make her as angry or sad. She was glad.

She looked over the town, and closed her eyes. She took in a deep breath, and welcomed the fresh air as a sign of change.

* * *

><p><strong>HAPPPPYYYY BIIRRTTHHHDDAAAAYYY!<strong>

**Shadow 1n2:**  
>Sora and Demyx are full of fail and awesome-ness all at the same time. XD Haha, Axel wouldn't be enemies with Sora if he was the leader, he'd just curse and have parties all day. XD Aw, I didn't know he passed away. I also hope the new V.A does a good job! Oh man, you are lucky! I wish my birthday was between those two…Well, I love Pisces people, they're really outgoing and friendly!<p>

Yes, I have a valentine but we took a break during the day so I spent it playing with my niece and watching sappy movies with my friend. XD

**Lvl-ZeR0:  
>:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D<strong>

Thank you, kind sir! Hmm, well I _love_ the red ones. Heh.

Ha, she better! But then again, evil twins are kinda, you know, _evil_, so I don't think she would want one to begin with lol. XD

**grapejuice101:**  
>Sorry for the late update and yes you are right! She is starting to remember! Let's hope for the rest, and think of the best!<p>

**starlightmint72:**  
>Yeaaah, it is a major flaw she has, and she's also kind of bossy and a little manipulative. Hehe, yes she is! It was the story that Ryan talked about that made it so, but I failed to address it. OTL. Yeeeah, I've been busy with filling out forms and preparing for an entrance exam that I have next Thursday for College. DX<p>

**Dracula X:**  
>Yes, she is! I did see that episode, and I'm neutral on the original trilogy. They haven't been playing it for a while on the channel they're supposed to play it on over here, so I'm a little behind on some sci-fi. DX<p>

**Trubeque:**  
>Well, I can say I had a crappy one since I had no one to hug or love [and the fact that we took a break <em>right<em> before Valentines] but I had fun with my other non-romantic stuff. Sore throat kills, not sucks! Especially when they eventually turn into dry coughs that just feel like a knife is stabbing your throat. DX

**MoonDancer89:**  
>Thank youuu!<p>

**dracula-key:**  
>Haha, yeah! Let's hope she gets it back soon. XD Oh yeah, but I'm talking about the small looking starfish. I can just picture him stick onto Marie and complain about not being something cooler like a shark or a whale. Muahahaha.<p>

**XxKeyOfHeartxX :**  
>Halloo! And thank you! Riku is the man! Hoot hoot hoot! And well, you'll be seeing more of that! Sometime…later…in the chapter.<p> 


	27. A badass queen

**Marie's casual wear:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**Ryan:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**Marie's timeless River outfit:**

www**[dot]**swirl3y**[dot]**deviantart**[dot]**com/gallery/29599925#/d41gx9m

**A\N:**  
>Sorry, it took me a while to upload this. I had Carpal Tunnel and I'm trying to catch up with so many comments in deviantART and notes, and school and Jazz and blah. I wanna hide for like a year and not worry about things.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Seven<br>ଓ  
>A bad-ass queen<strong>

I woke up calmly when I heard the ship make a turn. It was landing, and I got up and rubbed my eyes. The first thing my eyes landed on was the picture of my father, and I smiled. It seemed like the more I stared at it, the more hope I received. That smile of his is contagious.

I walked outside of my room, and I saw Ryan's door opened. I raised an eyebrow, and I walked in.

He was sitting casually on his bed, and biting his nails while reading a book. I never took Ryan was the reading type, but as I looked closer at the book it was the manual for the ship, the same one I got. That made sense, since Ryan was all about mechanics and whatnot.

I had been thinking, and maybe if Ryan could show that he was capable in fighting, I'd let him join with us. Although no one said it directly or even indirectly, it's my responsibility to see that Ryan gets home safely. At least, that's how I feel.

"Hey the ship landed, we ought to see what's up," I said while walking in the book. Ryan placed the book down and got up from his bed. He was still biting his nails, and I looked down to see his other nails. They were are ragged and uneven, and one fingernail looked like it had been bitten too far. I didn't know if it was a habit or something else, but it was a little gross.

"Well, that depends, are you gonna let me go?" he asked as he crossed his arms. Well, I guess I should talk to him about my deal.

"I was actually thinking. If you can fight well without having me worry or even getting yourself over-tired, then maybe," I said as we walked out of his room. He looked over to me, and this spark of excitement washed over his face. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit, since Ryan did act like a kid at times. However, in a sense, we're all young, Sora, Ryan and I, and to others I could be considered a kid.

"I felt bad about treating you like a kid, even though you're older than me," I explained. "I guess I've gotten the idea that every kid sixteen and older should be like Riku."

Riku is sixteen, and my guess was that his birthday wasn't as pleasant as mine or Sora's. Even Kairi for that matter, since she didn't have her two best friends to celebrate it. I heard Ryan sigh, and I looked up at him.

"I bet Riku is like a fighting machine, huh?" he asked, and I could hear a hint of jealous in his tone. "He was always good at a lot of things, and I always wanted to be his friend. I was just too damn sick for it."

I couldn't sympathize with Ryan, since I was best friends with Riku when I was younger. Of course, times had changed, but we're still good friends. I sighed, and decided not to speak any further.

We reached the control room, and Sora and the others were already there. Ryan looked at the screen, and we both noticed a white castle as the new world. I wondered if it was like Beast's castle.

"Hey, 'bout time you woke up!" Sora exclaimed happily. I blinked and looked over to him; he was very cheery for some reason. "We're gonna see Donald and Goofy's world."

"Really?" I asked. I looked at the screen again, and wondered what kind of world it was like. I know that they're from the same world as king Mickey, so that would explain the big, white castle. I looked over to Ryan, who was leaning near his chair. "Aren't you gonna come?"

"I don't do well in castles, or with formalities, so I'll just hang around here," he said as he shrugged his shoulders. I laughed, and figured as much. He was predictable, which in a way, was good.

"Hey, let's go already! I wanna see Donald and Goofy's world!" Sora laughed while punching Goofy's arm playfully. I turned around and laughed, geez this kid was overactive. I started walking towards the door, with the guys ahead of me. Ryan waved and said goodbye, and soon enough we were out the door.

**ଓ  
>Ryan and Aura<strong>

Ryan sat down on his chair, and looked over to the mechanics of the ship. The two chipmunks told him that they had everything under control should anything severe go wrong, but Ryan was in charge of putting upgrades or changing some of the cannons. He smiled to himself as he looked over the stuff they collected while travelling to the new world, and wondered what he could use to improve the ship. He had to talk to some man named 'Cid' to get some basic blueprints, but overall Ryan was excited.

"I see you're stay has been welcomed," a low, and feminine voice said. Ryan jumped and quickly turned around to see Aura, the girl who initially brought him to Marie, sitting on one of the desks. He slouched, and returned to his lazy position as he smiled and waved.

"Hey, it's you!" he greeted. He walked over to Aura, but she was well on her guard, and even he noticed. He backed up a bit, and shoved his hands into his pockets. "So, what brings you here…uh...?"

Ryan didn't notice the fact that Aura didn't came through the main entrance, but he was a bit oblivious to things. Aura crossed her legs, and looked around. She figured Ryan would help with helping Marie gain her memory back. She closed her eyes, and let out a small sigh. "The name's Aura and I have a little story to tell you about Sora and Marie."

Ryan raised his eyebrow in confusion, and stood silently and patiently while waiting for Aura to continue. He didn't care where she came from, but the mention of his cousin's name had already gotten him hooked. Aura opened her eyes and continued.

"You know, Marie really loves Sora, but some idiot went and made her forget ever knowing that. I'm trying to correct that, but I need your help," she said as she looked over to Ryan. He only scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Why should I help? Doesn't Marie have better things to do than fall in love with a kid?" he replied, sounding like a parent. Ryan always wanted siblings, so he really did think of Marie as his little sister. Because of that, he thought it part of the big brother act to make sure Marie dated guys he approved of. He had nothing against Sora, but he just didn't think he was dating material.

"Don't you see? Marie struggles with it. She knows she's forgetting something and that's love between her and Sora. It was destiny for them, and…," Aura swallowed a lump that formed in her throat and looked away while whispering. "_I messed it up_."

Ryan cocked his head towards her, and questioned what she said. She shook her head, and continued to speak. "If you really want to be the perfect cousin, or brother since your parents adopted her, then you have to think about her and her happiness. Marie is strongest when she's confident, and since she can't remember anything with Sora, there are patches in her memory, and that's making her insecure."

Ryan didn't speak, and only looked at the floor. It was true that Marie had gone through some, some of which he couldn't really understand, but what if Sora couldn't handle the baggage she brought with her? He looked at Aura, who was glaring at him the whole time. He gulped, and knew that if he did _anything_ to prevent Marie being with Sora Aura would cut him a new hole.

"…Fine, if it makes Marie quit being depressed, I'll try to hook them up," he said as he crossed his arms. Aura looked at him, and a small smile crept on her lips. She was still getting used to the idea of being happier, but she kind of liked being aggressive.

She also knew that Ryan would be dealing with Organization XIII, and she wanted to lay some rules, or reminders. She looked at him again, and coughed. "Just so you know, those guys in black coats are bad," she said.

"I know. Come on, they reek of bad people," he laughed, but Aura remained. He laughed awkwardly, and started to tap his foot lightly. "Did you come all the way just to warn me? I Gotta say, I've never had a girl worry about me."

Ryan winked at Aura, and she rolled her eyes feeling a little disgusted. She is the nobody of his cousin after all. No, Aura didn't come to warn or protect him, she came to offer a threat, as cruel as that sounded.

"What? Do you want me to feel sorry for you just 'cause you got that condition?" Ryan flinched, and glared at Aura while she couldn't help but feel a little sadistic about calling his health out.

"H-how do you know that?" he asked while suddenly putting up his guard. No one but Marie, Tidus, Wakka and his parents knew that. He sure as hell knew that his parents or friends wouldn't tell, since they were god knows how far from him. Marie was always with him or Sora, and she didn't look like the type to go around gossiping.

"Let's just say I'm keeping an eye on you, _cousin,_" she replied. She looked over to him and smirked. "Just 'cause you're family doesn't mean you won't betray us."

With that said, Aura fell back from the desk, and simply vanished. Ryan jumped and ran towards her, but as soon as he reached over the desk, specks of the dark blue portal that he first saw her in disappeared. His mouth stayed opened, unsure of what to think or do. When he got back up from the desk, he leaned against it and started thinking about what she said.

"Why the heck does she keep saying cousin?" he thought about it, and realized that he alone would find nothing. He needed to talk to someone about this, and the only person who could probably make sense of it all was _his_ cousin.

**ଓ  
>Marie<strong>

When we got off the ship, Donald and Goofy automatically noted something off about their home. Sora and I were stumped, since we figured they'd be overwhelmed to be home again. Before any of us could move though, we saw two little chipmunks running towards us, and I smiled.

"You're back!" one of them shouted, out of breath. I raised my eyebrow, wondering what was going on. "Hurry! Queen Minnie needs you!"

"The castle is in danger!" the other continued. "Go to the library!"

Without a moment to spare, Sora, Donald, Goofy and I ran towards the library. Of course, Sora and I didn't know where it was, so we had to rely on Goofy and Donald. They led us through a door, and it seemed we were in the courtyard. My eyes widened when I saw how green the grass was, and how all the shrubs were nicely cut. I felt my hand being tugged, and I looked over to see Sora dragging me along to the library. I had been gawking at the grass and shrubs that I forgot about the library, and when I looked over to them, I returned to being serious.

We made it towards the hallway, or the _colonnade _as Donald and Goofy called it. We noticed a door that was covered by a pink light, and when I questioned about it, Donald simply said it wasn't the library. I furrowed my eyebrows together and wondered what was behind the door, but my guess was audience chamber. You know the place where the king and queens sit on their fancy chairs and listen to people and their requests.

At least, I _think_ that's what an audience chamber is.

In any case, we arrived at a brown door, and Sora did not hesitate to open it. When he did, we all burst into the room, and my eyes landed on a small woman wearing a pink, puffy dress. I stared in awe at how pretty it looked, and both Donald and Goofy presented themselves to her. When she turned around, I knew that she was the queen, since it really wasn't that hard to figure out. When I did look at her though, I couldn't help but smile at how small and delightfully cute she was. When she spoke, it was soft and had a smooth, yet innocent tone to it. At the same time, it was calm and kind. Her voice really sounded like a queen, and her gestures and posture definitely enhanced that.

"Where's the king?" Sora said, interrupting both Donald and Goofy. The queen simply gave a sweet and kind smile to him, but Donald was a little annoyed at his lack of formalities. I could only imagine how Ryan would've handled this.

"Excuse him! This is our friend, Sora." Donald roughly grabbed Sora's head and forced him to bow, which made me chuckle. Goofy turned back, and I noticed him smiling. "And this is Marie, she's also our friend."

I stepped up, and bowed down to pay my respect to the queen. Somehow, formalities weren't hard for me, and they even brought memories of when I was young. Many people respected Ansem, and they would often bow or pay their respects. Getting me out of my thoughts, I finally spoke. "It's an honour to meet you, your majesty."

"Sora. Marie." She repeated. She clasped her hands together, and with a cheery tone told us that the king had sent letters speaking of us. He labelled Sora as a young, brave man, which boosted his ego. He told the queen of my powers, and how I was loyal and caring. I blushed, since it's not every day you hear a king write compliments about you. The queen went on talking about how there were heartless, and I was confused, seeing as I didn't see any. She then asked us if we could escort her to the audience chamber.

Aha, I was right!

However, seeing as the heartless came uninvited, the queen had no chance of warning everyone beforehand.

"Alright! We'll make sure everyone knows what's going on!" Sora said proudly, but his ego deflated when Donald told him he would just end up lost. Goofy told Sora and I to stay with the queen, which I obliged happily. As Donald and Goofy left, Sora looked at the queen.

"So, to the audience chamber, right ma'am?" he asked. The queen confirmed our destination, and we started to head out. I noticed that when someone mentions heartless, they appear automatically, since that's what they did when we walked outside the library. Sora looked back at me, and I brought my hands close to my chest. "I'll clear the way, and you make sure the queen is safe."

I nodded instantly, and willed out my keyblade. The queen had some powers, since she took out a wand. She raised it in the air, and a ray of light eliminated some of the heartless way ahead of us. Sora hacked and slashed as many heartless as he could, and the few that were left behind were dealt by my blade. They were just shadows, so they weren't hard to defeat. Sora kept signalling for us to walk towards him, and we did so cautiously.

Once we reached the door, the queen stepped up in front. The door we saw with the pink barrier was in front of us, and the queen went on to explain that she sealed it once troubled brewed. I chuckled nervously when the barrier disappeared, only to have a small door on the bottom open. I was expecting the whole door to open, but it was obviously the king and queen favoured practicality. Sora walked through the door first, then the queen, then me. As we reached the other side, the room was empty, and huge! As soon as I took a step forward, Sora grabbed my arm, and I turned around. When he looked up, I did the same, and saw a _bunch_ of heartless hovering over us. I couldn't quite describe them…they looked like pillars made out if….metal? Moreover, they had the black, puffy face with the yellow beady eyes.

The queen gasped, and obviously hadn't anticipated them to be here. Sora and I took out our keyblades, and protected the queen while heading towards the throne. With the queen's power, it wasn't taking too long. She drove the heartless away with her ray of light, and the left over heartless were dealt with by Sora.

I used most of my spells from last year, and blocked the attacks that came towards us. I was at the point where I didn't even want to fight blade to blade, so I just blocked or used my magic spells. There was no sense in me being on the offensive side, since I wasn't strong enough physically. I looked over to Sora, who was fighting the rest of the heartless like a champion. The queen used another one of her light spells, and again the heartless sprang back. I walked a little further, and instructed her to follow close behind. With Sora fighting and protecting us, we were able to get the queen to the throne. The heartless still remained, and Sora and I stood on watch to keep off the heartless while the queen looked for whatever she was looking for.

"Come on, gimme a break!" Sora complained. He stood on guard, and attacked any heartless that got close. I fired spells to keep them at a distance, but it wasn't doing much. After a while, I heard a click, and the floor began to move. I stumbled a bit, and looked around. The piece of floor we stood on shifted and a blinding light came from the floor. I covered my eyes, and when the light ceased I looked around.

The heartless in sight disappeared, and Sora and I stood there dumbstruck at what happened. "Whoa…," Sora said in awe.

"Talk about power…," I added, looking around the room. The queen walked over to the whole in the middle of the room, and I turned around to follow her. She explained how the floor below, called the 'hall of the cornerstone', held a stone called the cornerstone of light that protected them from worlds that were evil. She proceeded down the hallway, and I followed. Sora was the last to follow, and he looked like he was in thought, but I was too busy following the queen.

When we reached the room, the first thing I noticed was the fact that the room was covered in black thorns. I felt undeniably uncomfortable, and even a little cold. When we walked further into the room, we noticed a big ball of light on top of a pedestal…except the light coming from the ball was dim. The queen looked depressed, and stared at the ball.

"The thorns in the room must be the work of someone very evil," she said. I tilted my head and wondered who it could be, and then I heard footsteps and noticed Donald and Goofy walk in. Good, everyone is here. I walked close to the ball along with Sora, and all of a sudden a sickly green and black smoke appeared, and from it, a very familiar figure.

"Maleficent!" Donald shouted. Sora and Goofy were in disbelief, and I stood on my guard. She looked around, and smirked at us.

"Well, well, well. What have we here…?" she said, looking down on us, "If it isn't the wretched keyblade holder, and his pitiful lackeys!"

"I'm not a lackey!" I shouted, taking out my keyblade. She chuckled, and looked over towards me.

"No…you're the key," she said, waving her hand. I'm not an object, either…I shook my head, and looked at her. Donald was angry, and charged directly at her, but he bonked his head straight into the pedestal. She laughed again, and told us that vengeance would have to wait. She went on saying how she wanted the castle for herself, and decided to fill it with darkness first. That explained the cold chill I got, but still, it's not really nice to take something without asking. She left with saying the castle would be hers, and whipped out a maniacal laugh.

"What a hag," Sora commented. I closed my eyes for a moment, and the queen said she couldn't figure out why this was happening, even going to the library to find clues from books. That's when I opened my eyes.

"If anyone knows something about magic, wouldn't Merlin be the person?" I asked, placing a hand on my left hip and adding pressure to my left leg. Donald and Goofy agreed, saying we should all go back to Hollow Bastion. The queen nodded, and agreed to hold off the darkness until we returned. There was a transporter in the far right corner of the room, which conveniently directed us towards the hangar to the gummi ship. Well, seeing as how the gummi ship came from this world, that made sense.

**ଓ**

We transported to the ship, and the boys ran towards the control room to punch in the co-ordinates for Hollow Bastion. When I walked into the control room, Ryan was sitting down in his chair laughing at whatever the other guys were talking about. When I saw him look towards me, he got up quickly and walked towards me. "Something wrong?" I asked.

"Yeah, I met this girl…"

"…Okay?" I said, not sure where he was going. He raised and waved his hands in protest, and assured he wasn't going to talk about anything inappropriate. Instead, he went to talk about the girl that first brought him to us. I thought about it, and remembered seeing the girl in blue fight Xaldin while Ryan made a run for it. I don't know where he was going with it, though.

"She sneaked into the ship, and she told me to watch out for the guys in black…in a very mean way," he said. My eyes widened, and I looked at Sora to make sure he wasn't listening. I took a deep breath, and looked back at Ryan.

"What was she doing here? Do you know who she is?" I asked feeling a little stalked. He shrugged his shoulders, and started to think. I sighed, and crossed my arms as I closed my eyes.

"I do remember her name for once!" my eyes popped wide open and stared at him. He placed a finger on his chin, and started to think again. I lowered my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose; this guy really has horrible memory. "Hmm, actually…no, wait, no. I think her name is Airu, no…Auri? Riri? Ah, it's Aura!"

"Aura? That's a peculiar name," I said, looking to make sure Sora wasn't listening. "Listen, don't worry about 'Aura', I'll look into it. Just don't tell Sora, 'cause I don't want him to worry or over-react over nothing."

"Why do you care so much about him?" Ryan asked, and I could hint the suspicion, yet a bit of curiosity in his voice. It's not that I like him, it's just…well, he already had enough problems, right?

"I don't like him; I just don't want to cause _him_ problems if this girl is _my_ problem, okay? Please don't tell him." Ryan took one last look at me, and shrugged his shoulders while returning to his chair to speak with the other guys. I sighed, and placed a hand over my chest. It was another thing to worry and stress over, but I really didn't want to cause Sora any problems. I really didn't know why I was caring about it, but I do.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh lord. I had a dream where this story was a MarieAxel story. I cried. **

Don't get me wrong though, I can definitely write and see this pairing, but I'm so used to Sorie that it's kind of like, meh, why bother? Well since Sorie is like, on hiatus, because of that whole ordeal, I can see Marie/Axel more now.

Don't worry, Sorie will come back pretty soon. I'm just waiting for that hit on the head for Marie to remember. Quite literally, actually.

**Shadow 1n2:**  
>Ahaha, Axel as the leader would be awesome. I'd join the team in a heartbeat. He'd probably make a day where all they do is sleep, since he really loves sleeping for some reason. I'm the year of the monkey, lol. I don't know if I'm a match or dot on for it. Aw! I I'd love a heartless mushroom hat, those things are cute!<p>

**Lvl-ZeR0:**  
>Ahaha, I'm glad you liked it love. XD<p>

OOOOOOOOooooooh, really? The blue ones? ;D Thanks for the red lollipop, but the blue ones that you speak of sound pretty interesting. XD Aha, I've never thought of it that way, but you're completely right! She'll appear sometime later methinks. XD

**Dracula X:**  
>Yes, yes she is right! Living in the past does nothing for your health, but it doesn't hurt to have the memories from it.<p>

**MoonDancer89:**  
>Hercules is awesome, though! And yes, Aura is finally starting to let go of the past. XD<p>

**starlightmint72:**  
>Ahaha, Ryan isn't going anywhere, and his status has improved! He's now just a little more important! Yeah, Marie is many things, one of them being insecure about her abilities. She's kind of lazy, too….not to mention she's pretty sensitive, so if you made fun with ill intentions she'll most likely cry. Thank you for reading!<p>

**SisterOfScarletDevil:**  
>Ahaha, no it was a friend's birthday!<p>

**TheEpicBlueNinja:**  
>Thank you!<p>

**XxKeyOfHeartxX:**  
>Ahaha, no. He's in charge of bringing Marie and Sora together! XD and yes, Aura is starting to normalize, but she won't lose her bad-ass attitude. XD who knows? Riku could end up alone, no one knows for sure! Aura might still love someone else. :O<p>

**Trubeque:**  
>You're completely right! But I don't think Dante wants to step into a room with a raging woman.<p>

**Lele-the-Greek-Geek:**

**Leeeeleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! LONG TIME NO WRITE HUH?**

Haha, yeah she'd make a good mother up until they reach teenhood. XD and you are right! She is very oblivious, even without memory-loss; she is stupid to the things around her. it's quite the blonde thing. REPLICRIE! I love it! XD yeah, I can totally see Aura as being a great villain, but alas, she is a goody good. XD

INTELLERGENT? WHAT IS THIS NONSENE? ONLY I MAYETH BE **INTELLERGENT!**


	28. Oh, how the river flows

**Marie's casual wear:**

www**[****dot]**swirl3y**[****dot]**deviantart**[****dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**Ryan:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**Marie's timeless River outfit:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/gallery/29599925#/d41gx9m

**A\N:  
><strong>I'm very sorry about the late reply. I'm in a terrible slump, and I literally have no writing creativity or motivation. I will still be trying to get every chapter of this story up, just because I am dedicated to this since it is the first story series I have. Please be patient with me, this is the first time I've ever experienced a slump like this.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Eight<br>****ଓ  
><strong>**Oh, how the river flows**

"Anybody home?"

We reached Hollow Bastion, and entered Merlin's house. Sora and Donald shouted out his name, but when we didn't get a response, Sora just started asking for anybody. But a big puff of smoke appeared, and we turned around to see that it was good ole' Merlin. "What is that entire racket?" he asked, stroking his beard.

Sora and Donald rushed to his side, and explained what had happened, Maleficent…the heartless…everything that had been going on at King Mickey's castle. Donald babbled on and on, it was hard to understand what with his duck talk, so I closed my eyes and sighed.

When I opened them, they widened, since we were instantly brought back to the castle. I saw bits of Merlin's smoke, and I figured he brought us here with his magic. "Perhaps I'd better see for myself," he said, trying not to offend Donald.

"Oh, this is not good! In fact, this is quite serious!" he said. I was afraid he'd say it was bad, but seriously bad? Man, maleficent never lets up. He turned around, and took out his wand. He chanted a spell, and a white door appeared in the shape of a crown. He cleared his throat, and explained that the door lead to a 'special world'. "Someone in that world is responsible for what's going on in this castle," he said.

"Then we should get going!" Sora said as he touched the door handle. Merlin cleared his throat again, and told him to wait a moment. He explained that we needed to find a door that looked like the one in the room and lock it.

"Be aware though, the nature of that world may tempt you to do something dark, so you must resist that temptation at all cost!" Merlin explained. Uh oh, well that doesn't sound good. I sighed, and wondered what he meant, but he just told us that we'll know soon enough. That wasn't really comforting, but I guess I had to place faith in Merlin.

Sora walked towards the door, and struggled to open it. He pulled a little harder, and it eventually opened. We all huddled behind him, and a flash of light blinded up for a moment. I covered my eyes, but then I felt something draw me into the world. I screamed, and the next thing I know, I fell on my stomach. I groaned a bit, and I touched the ground. It was grassy, and when I lifted my face, I looked around and immediately got up.

"Y-you guys…I think I'm coloured blind!" I shouted waving my hand in front of my face. I looked over to the other guys, and Sora looked around. He wasn't freaking out like I was, and the other two were out of it.

"I see it two," Sora replied. "I think it's the world."

I sighed in relief, and both Donald and Goofy started laughing. I was freaking out for nothing I guess, but it would have been terrifying if I couldn't see colours anymore. We looked around and Donald mentioned something about Déjà vu, and I wondered if maybe he and Goofy visited this world before. Before I could say anything, we saw someone running past us. When we all looked at each other, he stopped, and ran towards us. "You guys haven't seen any bad people around, have you?"

Sora, Donald and Goofy all placed a finger in their chins, and almost immediately, they pointed at him. The guy in question was Pete, but he looked different somehow. I looked down to the floor, and noticed a different pair of shoes. I looked down at my pants, and then my shirt. I was wearing the clothes from last year's adventure! Whoa, I never really noticed just how plain my outfit was back then. In fact, everyone looked different. Sora was also wearing his outfit from last year, and both Donald and Goofy looked different, too.

Well, back to the situation at hand, Pete grew angry and was about to fight us, but he stopped. He had more important things to do apparently, and didn't waste any time with us. I crossed my arms and thought it was weird for him not to fight us, but Sora jumped on the idea of chasing after him. They started walking ahead of me, and I followed close behind.

**ଓ  
><strong>**Ryan**

"Now, how the heck do you remind someone…?" he said as he paced back and forth thinking. He was always great with the women, he was suave and much more. However, working on something like Sora and Marie was a little hard, and he didn't know where to start.

Ever since joining Marie and Sora, he felt like his life took a turn into fairy-tale world, what with all the magic and weapons and saving worlds. Maybe he had to think fairy-tale, and in fairy-tales, kissing always made everything better!

How was he going to get _those_ two to kiss? Even the thought of his cousin kissing made him want to throw up. It still wasn't worse than seeing his dad dance around the house with a tower around his waist, though. He continued to pace back and forth, and started thinking up a plan for them. He was mischievous while back on the islands, and he always pulled pranks on everyone. Maybe his scheming ways would prove useful. Either way, he needed to think of something. He was sure that Sora didn't know that he knew about Marie's memories, and he didn't want to explain how he knew. He had to be sneaky about that, but the question was how?

He continued to pace back and forth, and tried to figure out a plan.

**ଓ  
><strong>**Marie**

You know, this place felt nice, minus the villain we're trying to capture. It was homey even though everything was black and white, to which still rather bugged me. I'm so used to colour, after all. The place was like a small village, _almost_ like Destiny Islands, but not exactly. There weren't any children nearby, but it was still a cheerful place.

Then again, the only thing I can actually _find_ similar between the two was the fact that there was water. Speaking of which, we actually followed along the water until we saw Pete. He was standing by a pier and looking out into the water. Sora, Donald and Goofy immediately ran over to him. I followed close behind, and I could tell Pete was angry. A few words were exchanged, and all I heard from Pete was, "them's fighting words."

He raised his fists, but then we heard the tooting of a boat. He stopped, and walked towards the noise. Sora, Donald and Goofy ran up to stop him with their weapons, and prevented him from going any further. I took out my keyblade and stood behind Pete, so that he wouldn't run away. He growled, and prepared to fight us.

**ଓ  
><strong>**Aura**

She sat atop the clock tower like usual, and stared into the town. She had been busy scouting out the different worlds, and some she liked—while others she dreadfully hated. She sighed as she picked up a rock and threw it. She slouched over and placed her chin in her palms.

"Well, I didn't think you'd still go to this place."

Aura quickly jumped up when she heard that voice, the voice belonging to the redheaded pyromaniac. She got up slowly, and turned to face Axel. Their eyes met, and when she looked at him more closely, she felt like crying. She was doing well without him and Roxas, but seeing him made her weak in the knees.

"Axel…," she said with a weak voice. He smiled, and chuckled lightly at her sight. He noticed that her face was brighter, and there was a different air about her. He missed her too much, and their time apart was killing him.

"I know you said we shouldn't talk to each other, but what kind of lame talk is that?" he said as he placed his hands on his hips. He walked closer to the edge of the tower, and Aura stayed on her guard. When he sat in his usual spot, he looked over the town, and smirked. "This is my favourite place to be."

Aura maintained where she was, and only watched as Axel chuckled and looked at the town. She closed her eyes, and remembered the times where the three of them sat at the clock tower. They were great memories, and _only_ great memories. She thought for a while, and slowly made her way beside Axel. They didn't speak, and only stared towards the sun.

"Axel, you should really—"

"Should what? Not talk to you?" he said as he continued to stare out into the town. "Look, whatever happens, happens. If you don't want me fighting you, I won't."

"What happens if they tell you to?" Aura asked, not convinced with his words.

"Then you'll just have to pretend like your dead," he chuckled. Aura shook her head, and wondered how simple-minded Axel could be. Still, she really missed talking to him, even after all that has happened. She wouldn't mind, but they needed to keep it on the down low.

"Then you're welcomed to talk to me whenever, but don't overdo it. I don't want anything happening to you," she said as she brought her knees towards her chest. Axel looked at the young brunette, and smirked. Somehow, their scared place atop the clock tower always made things better.

If only it lasted.

* * *

><p>Sorry for the late update.<p>

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>Haha, as a rule you must eat sea-salt ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner! He would say that. XD

Well, Marie is 15 right now, and if Axel was 18 that wouldn't be a problem. I see many 15 year olds with older men. Plus, since they knew each other it would make for a better relationship since they understand each other. The colours red and pink look good together too. XD

**Lvl-ZeR0:  
><strong>Ah, yes. The interesting blue lollipops. XD

Evil Marie will be appearing soon, but she'll be out of the story soon as well. I kinda lost the reason why she was supposed to be in it, but I've gotta take her out so that there are no hanging characters.

**grapejuice101:  
><strong>I shall try to make more Marie/Sora moments later on. I'm pretty sure she's close to remembering!

**Dracula X:  
><strong>Haha, sorry for the misinterpretation. Aura actually respects and likes Naminé a lot, so you'll never ever see her say anything even remotely insulting about her. Ryan is also dense, so it'll take a while before he actually sees it.

**starlightmint72:  
><strong>Yup, I'm thinking of having Ryan get his own chapter, because I want it to be an important part of the story. At least a little. Haha, I have a bad habit of biting my nails too, but it's not like your sister. I usually just paint my nails, and it helps prevent me from biting them.

**Trubeque:  
><strong>B-but the cake is a lieee!

**dracula-key:  
><strong>Indeed, it will be interesting. He sucks at getting a girl himself, but he'll try his best to make his cousin happy!

**CiaraisaTomatoe:  
><strong>Aw, thank you very much! I try my best to make sure it's not just about Marie/Sora. I love Donald and Goofy, so I try to make them have more airtime, too! As well as everyone else!

Yes, she does get it back, but it'll be later on in the story. As for meeting her real parents…I can't say where or how, but I plan for it to happen in KH3, if it comes out. If not, I'll arrange for it in the last game for KH.


	29. She strikes again!

**Marie's casual wear:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**Ryan:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**Marie's timeless River outfit:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/gallery/29599925#/d41gx9m

**A\N:**

I'm in a terrible slump, and I literally have no writing creativity or motivation. I will still be trying to get every chapter of this story up, just because I am dedicated to this since it is the first story series I have. Please be patient with me, this is the first time I've ever experienced a slump like this.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Nine<br>****ଓ  
><strong>**She strikes again!**

It wasn't hard whatsoever to beat Pete, and I found it a little suspicious. It was harder the last time, so something _must_ be up. When he tried to play it like he didn't know us, Sora told him to cut the act. A whistling noise came from the river and Pete tried to head that way, but wasn't in any condition to. Sora, Donald, Goofy and I huddled up, and Goofy admitted that something was indeed off. "Are you sure you're Pete?" he asked.

"Of course I'm Pete! I'm the captain of the steamboat!" he shouted, rubbing his head. "I gotta find the runt who stole my boat!"

"You guys, I think he's telling the truth," I said as we huddled up again. Sora had his head down in thought, and Goofy looked at Pete again.

"Are you sure we made a mistake?" he asked.

"He's probably not the same," Sora said as he placed his fingers beneath his chin. "I mean, he hasn't even called any heartless."

After thinking it over, Goofy walked over to Pete and apologized. However, Pete said if we were sorry, then we'd help him find his boat. Sora immediately agreed for all of us, and Pete fell over due to his back pain. I felt bad for hitting an innocent Pete, so Donald and I helped him a little with our healing spells.

**ଓ **

After helping Pete, we got into a discussion about helping Pete with his steamboat while also finding the door Merlin was talking about. That all stopped when we saw a floating stage near us, and so we walked over to it. The drapes were closed so we couldn't see what was inside, so Donald opened them by pulling the string next to it. A flash of light appeared, and all of a sudden, a bunch of floating windows appeared. We also saw heartless entering all of them! When the flash of light appeared again, we were outside the floating stage. I shook and blinked a few times, and what we saw must have been what happened before we entered this world. Donald pulled the string again, and the same floating windows appeared.

"Let's get rid of those heartless!" Sora suggested. We all agreed, and started heading towards the nearest window. As we walked, I couldn't help but look over towards Sora. Seeing him in his old outfit made me think of last year, and to be honest, I really couldn't remember all the little bits in between. I just really remember meeting Sora, fighting the heartless, and beating that imposter who called himself Ansem. He slightly turned his head enough for me to see his chain necklace, and it made me touch my neckline. I really wanted to get that necklace back, but I didn't want to risk time we could use to find the king or Riku instead. I had no choice but to leave it at Mulan's world for now.

We entered the window, and ended up in the middle of a construction site. We looked around, and Goofy immediately told Sora to watch out. I was close towards Goofy, and when I turned around I saw a hammer-like heartless about to hit Sora. I gasped, and ran to him—but then we all saw the king kicking the heartless while hanging from a rope! Sora, Donald and Goofy shouted for the king, and he landed a level above us. "He looks kinda different," Goofy mentioned.

"Heartless!" shouted Sora. I looked up, and a bunch of heartless appeared around us. We took out our weapons, and prepared for battle. Sora, Donald and Goofy fought off the bigger crowd of heartless, while I fought the lesser ones. It was no problem for me, but I was a little concerned since the rest had gone a little farther from where I was.

I fought a couple of the shadows, and I was making progress. They weren't as hard anymore, which was a good sign for me, but I still needed training if I wanted to fight as well as Sora. When I looked over to the other guys they were completely out of sight. They had more heartless to deal with, so I tried my best to fight off the ones here so I could meet up. When I defeated the last heartless, I wiped the sweat from my forehead. A dark portal appeared out of nowhere, and I immediately brought up my keyblade.

I was so scared since I was all by myself, but the next thing I knew I was pushed so hard that I felt myself tip off the ledge of the site. I tried balancing myself, and when I looked forward, I saw the one thing I didn't want to see at the time.

It was the clone at Olympus Coliseum, or fakey, as the boys called her. She was staring at me, and I tried so hard to get back on my toes. It felt like she had a hold over me, since I knew by now I would've fallen. She gave me a smirk, and chuckled. "Stealing you now will be so easy!"

In an instant, I felt the hold wear off, and I started to fall. I screamed as loud as I could, but that wasn't helping with anything. I closed my eyes and started to whimper, the thought of me dying completely filled my mind, and the next thing I knew…

Well, everything went pitch black.

**ଓ  
><strong>**Sora**

Sora immediately heard a scream not too far from where he was, and the first thing he thought of was Marie. They finished off the last round of heartless, and he looked at Goofy and Donald and nodded. They quickly rushed to the previous area and when Sora stopped, he saw Marie.

At least, that's what he thought.

"Well, look who decided to show," she said as she turned around. Sora raised his keyblade in defense, and instantly knew this girl wasn't Marie. She quickly jumped onto the level above her, and placed her hands on her hips, "If you're wondering where she is, you'll just have to catch me!"

"We're not here for games! Where is she?" Sora shouted. They all knew her power, and she was not one to be trifled with. She instead just chuckled, and ran away. Sora growled in annoyance, and quickly ran after her with Donald and Goofy following not far from him.

* * *

><p>Sorry again for the late(and short chapter)update, but I'm getting better at it! It's only been 17 days since my last update!<p>

I am dreading the next chapter though, because of the fact that you enter each stage or whatever to find Mickey and it's so goshdarn annoying. I swear KH sometimes makes me rip me hair out!

**grapejuice101:  
><strong>Sorry, I'm not feeling all that creative, hence my slump. I'm trying my best though. It'll be a while, but when they will be I'll make it epic I swear! Yes, ORG13 is still trying to capture her, and they're using fakey to do it! DX

**WingOfHope:  
><strong>Haha, you should be my muse! Your brain functions exactly like mine! Although I can't spoil anything! It'll be more painful awkward than funny though. DX

**Dracula X:  
><strong>Oh geez, thanks. XD I know I took forever, but I surprisingly have a life. :O I am trying hard to update asap though.

**Anna Crosszeria:  
><strong>Aw, I know! I'm so sorry! And don't worry, everyone needs their time alone. I know I did. XD haha, it might be the cure, or maybe not? Who knoooows! All I know is that it'll be very awkward, and Ryan is sort of slow in the brain to begin with. XD LOL I would love that book if it were real.

**Lvl-ZeR0:  
><strong>LOL the blue lollipops! I love them blue lollis. XD that sounded wrong, haha. I am getting better at updating, aren't I? I FEEL SO PROUD HUR DUR. She will help Marie out, but it won't be with her powers, she's just weak like that. I have plans for her strength later on in the series though. XD

**XxKeyOfHeartxX:  
><strong>I know, I feel the same, especially for Axel, Demyx and Xigbar. They're all so chills in their DS game. Aura will retain her bad-assery, but she's not so hateful, thanks to Riku. Haha, Demyx would probably flake on the killing, I can't see him doing something as bad as that! XD thanks! I feel like I'm getting better!

**dracula-key:  
><strong>thanks! Oh, trust me, I am dying to start on that world so badly! I also want to get to the 1000 battle since that part is going to be HUGE to Marie's memories.


	30. The return of fakey

**Marie's casual wear:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**Ryan:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**Marie's timeless River outfit:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/gallery/29599925#/d41gx9m

**A\N:  
><strong>Thy slump is sort of going away lol. Also, mind you, I'm going to skip a lot of the chase for King Mickey. Do you know how boring that is! Blaaaah.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty<br>****ଓ  
><strong>**The return of fakey**

**Thud**.

The only thing heard when Ryan saw a dark portal appear. He hid behind a nearby desk, and peered over to see who it was. He feared that the bad men in cloaks were after him, so he tried his best not to make any noise. As the smoke disappeared, he saw someone wearing blue, and instantly recognized who it was.

"Hey! You can't just keep coming uninvited! Geez, people never learn!" he shouted, getting up from his position. When he walked over though, he saw Marie gripping her sides and groaning in pain. She was trying to stay conscious, but the fall had made that difficult.

Aura, as Ryan knew her as, bent down to check up on her. She got up, and looked at Ryan, who was confused beyond all hell. "Organization XIII tried to capture her using Marie's lookalike. I managed to intercept the capture, but she's obviously beat up."

"Oh, well I know first aid. Help me bring her to her room," Ryan replied as he bent down, lifting Marie up. Aura did the same, and the both of them helped Marie, who was still slipping in and out of conscious, to her room. As they did, Ryan looked over to Aura, who was concentrating on lifting Marie. "Why are you helping her so much? Every time I see you it's always about Marie."

There was a long pause before any answer came out of Aura's lips. He continued to stare at her, because her looks were very similar, but he couldn't point it. After a while, Aura spoke. "Let's call it a debt," she said. "I owe her."

"For what?" Ryan asked again.

They had reached Marie's room, and placed her on her bed. Aura stretched her arms, seeing as how Marie, who went unconscious, wasn't as light as she expected. She walked towards the door, but Ryan stopped her as he shouted for her to stop. She turned her head slightly, with her back still facing the brunette boy. "What I owe her is something between the both of us. You wouldn't understand even if I told you."

She quickly walked outside the room, and Ryan hurried and chased after her. As soon as he did though, she was gone. He scratched his head, wondering why Aura was such a mystery. He dropped his shoulders, and proceeded back into the room to patch up his cousin.

**ଓ  
><strong>**Sora**

After the talk with the fake Marie, the king came down from who knows where, shook Sora's hand, and disappeared. It seemed that he went the same way fakey went. Goofy pointed towards the floating stage, and the three of them made haste.

Along the way, Sora couldn't help but worry about Marie. Donald and Goofy took note of this, and they briefly stopped to say something. "Hey, don't worry! We're pretty sure Marie is alright," Donald assured.

"Yeah! She's probably still around here," Goofy added.

"I hope so you guys, let's look for her and the king." Sora hoped that she was okay. It wasn't that he didn't have faith in her abilities, but he knew that _she_ didn't have faith in her abilities. He wasn't specifically sure what was happening to her, since she never spoke about it. It wasn't like last year where she told him practically everything, and he really missed that.

He shook his head, and decided not to go into that. There were many things that he wanted to confront her about, but he wasn't sure where to start. Even more, he was scared to confront her, what if she said something he wasn't going to like?

Sora, Donald and Goofy proceeded to run towards the next stage and along the way they were introduced to a scene with maleficent. It was confusing to understand, but they watched as she yelled at what appeared to be Pete. She was incredibly angry.

**ଓ  
><strong>**Marie**

My head was killing me.

What was even more confusing was that I was aboard the gummi ship. Ryan told me that Aura brought me here, and things just kept getting confusing. I still don't know who this Aura is, and I was pretty sure I was dead. I still felt woozy from the attack, but I'm glad I'm not dead.

"Yeah, she said that fakey tried to bring you to Organization XIII, but she blocked it and caught you before that happened," Ryan explained. I was still digesting everything that he said, but for the most part, I understood that I'm being targeted. I don't understand their motive, and I wish I did. I sighed, and placed a hand on my chest. When I did, I remembered yet again about my necklace. I looked down, and really wanted to get it back.

"What's wrong?" Ryan asked. I shook my head, it wasn't worth getting worked over I guess, even though I felt like it was important. I tapped my foot on the ground, and looked around the ship. My eyes fell on Ryan again, and then an idea hit me.

"Hey, can you drive the gummi ship?" I asked, hoping for a positive answer. Ryan crossed his arms and started to ponder; he looked over captain's chair and stared at it.

"I haven't had a chance, but from the way Sora drives it, I'm pretty sure I can," he said, which really didn't fill me with confidence. I was getting antsy though, and a day without that necklace was making me feel even worse. I took a deep breath in, and looked at Ryan again.

"There's a world I need to go," I said, sitting down on one of the chairs. "I need to get something."

Thankfully, Mulan's world gate was already unlocked, so we didn't have to fight any space heartless. Ryan jumped at the chance it seemed, since he was already sitting down. "Just tell me where to go, and I'll take us!"

I was feeling nervous about this, but I really wanted that necklace. I know Sora and the others are still down by the Timeless River, and I want to make it back before they finish up with it. I don't know if Sora has noticed if I'm gone or not, but I want to hurry this up so no one is worried.

As I took another deep breath, the ship started up, and I looked out the window as we started flying.

* * *

><p>Sorry it took a while. I found this online game called Trickster Online and I just kept playing and playing. _ It's really addictive, just not the drilling part, haha. If any of you play it, let me know =D<p>

**WingOfHope:  
><strong>Oh, if there's anything that says Aura and Axel are paired up, it's for an alternate story I'm working on haha. Don't worry, it's just pure Riku/Aura from here on out.

**grapejuice101:  
><strong>Ahaha, here you are! XD I hope you liked it.

**Dracula X:  
><strong>Yeah, it is a but annoying at some points, especially TR. It's a beautiful world, but chasing the king is really boring. _

**Anna Crosszeria:  
><strong>Fakey is so bad! What? O_o lol, I have no love in my life at the moment. _ Somewhere along the lines Ryan's plan will work. It may have disastrous results at the beginning though har har. XD

**Lvl-ZeR0:  
><strong>It's lifting, don't worry. I've been playing games a lot, so it's getting better lol. my cure for everything are video games! XD

O_o I will try not to eat them together, but it is very tempting! :O I will try to make her death very epic, and dramatic, and awesome! I need to think of one though lol. XD

**Trubeque:  
><strong>You can do it, you have the power! XD

**dracula-key:  
><strong>Yeah, imagine if he thought she was the real one. -_- I am very glad it's only one trip, but even then chasing the king wasn't fun at all. I do love the scene and concept of the world, but they could've put a better plot for that world.


	31. That Which You Love

**Marie's casual wear:  
><strong>www**[****dot]**swirl3y**[****dot]**deviantart**[****dot]**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**Ryan:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**Marie's timeless River outfit:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/gallery/29599925#/d41gx9m

**A\N:  
><strong>I'm so sorry I haven't updated in centuries. I've been busy with school and a lot of other things to give my full attention to this story. I'm hoping to start this thing up again, and I hope you all be patient with me as I try. I'm going to skip a lot of the chase for King Mickey. It's pretty boring o-o. I also changed some things—Ryan isn't going to be a major character anymore, but he'll still have his time on air.

Moreover, the necklace idea changes a bit, too. Had a lot of renovating with this story, you could say lol.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-One<br>****ȶ**  
><strong>That which you love<strong>

As the ship landed at the same location as last time, I looked out the window and smiled. It was nice to be back at this place, only because Mulan was here. Other than that, almost being killed by a giant brute wasn't a pleasant memory. I don't know how it could be, anyways. Ryan got up and I was about to tell him to stay, but I figured it would be best if he explored. I _did_ tell him that if he could prove himself worthy of fighting I wouldn't baby him. I guess this was a good opportunity for him to explore and see other worlds like that. We walked out of the ship, and slowly made our way towards the camps. I don't know where Mulan was exactly, but I was hoping to see some of the soldiers who could tell us where she was. Luckily, the three soldiers that were with us on our first trip were walking around. I started walking a little faster and Ryan did too, and I was already in their view.

"Well, well, if it isn't little 'Mario'," Yao said. I laughed with embarrassment, because they really only knew me as Mario. I scratched my head, and looked around. Not a lot of soldiers were here, which wasn't that bad. I took it as a sign that there was peace going on in this world.

"How's it going? I hope you guys aren't causing trouble," I said as I placed my hands on my hips. They scoffed, and looked over beside me to where Ryan stood. Yao ran over to him and started being rough with him, and Ryan simply stared at him, trying to avoid his punches.

"So who's the fresh meat? Hope he ain't like Sora, what with being a scrawny little punk," he said. Ryan raised his eyebrow, and it was surprising he wasn't like Sora. I mean Ryan was weak, but I was guessing he was strong in his own way, but it was too early to tell. I felt bad knowing I was blocking that potential, but I did make a deal with him, and I am hoping he proves me wrong.

"This is Ryan. Trust me he's nothing like Sora," I laughed. Ryan continued to raise his eyebrow, and from the corner of my eye, I spotted a very familiar person. I turned around, and saw Mulan walking towards us with a smile on her face. I couldn't help but smile in return, and started heading her way.

"You came back!" she said, squinting her eyes as her smile grew wider. I laughed, and bowed down. She was china's hero after all, so I had to show some respect. She just waved it off, saying it wasn't necessary. She looked around, but then her eyes landed on me again. "So, what brings you here?"

"I'm looking for something," I said. I placed a hand over my neckline, and told her how I was missing a necklace. She placed a finger on her chin, and started thinking. Her eyes grew wider, and she looked back at me.

"I found a necklace a while ago while you guys were still here," she said. I was starting to get my hopes up, maybe it's my necklace? "Come, I have it over at base camp."

We started walking towards the camp, and Mulan looked over to Ryan. She raised her eyebrow, and I giggled. "This is my cousin, Ryan. He's joining Sora and I on our journey." She gave an accepting smile, and Ryan winked towards her. I elbowed him in the ribs, and he groaned. Geez.

**ȶ  
><strong>**Sora**

Sora, Donald and Goofy made their way into another portal, and hoped that maybe the king and Marie were there. Sora was getting more worried as they progressed, but he had to stay strong. As they entered the portal, he noticed something was off and looked around.

"Hey..."

Donald and Goofy knew what was going on, but Sora looked around more until it finally hit him. The town suddenly shrunk, and he made sure he didn't step on any buildings. "Gwarsh, I think we're the ones that got bigger," Goofy said as he got a closer look around. It didn't matter whether they got bigger, or if the town shrunk—they still needed to focus.

Sora looked around and saw a tall building, about the same height as him actually, and noticed the cannons on it. "Hey, look at the toy cannons!" they walked over to the building and took a closer look. From the corner of his eye, Sora saw the king, and all three of them looked towards him. Mickey was waving his hands around frantically, and they didn't understand what he was trying to tell them. They heard the sound of a propeller, and when they turned, heartless surrounded them. They were heartless in airplanes, and they looked like their target was the town. Sora, Donald and Goofy immediately took out their weapons and prepared for the fight. If this was going to get them closer to the king and to Marie, then they certainly didn't mind bashing in a few heartless.

**ȶ  
>Marie <strong>

"I picked it up when that village burned down. I hadn't realized it looked the same as Sora's necklace, but by the time I did you guys already left," Mulan said as she grabbed a small wooden box. "I'm pretty sure it's yours, since it's practically identical to his."

She opened the box, and inside was the necklace. I looked at it... seeing as it was the only thing I could do. My whole body froze... I'm finally going to have it back. My lips started quivering, and I wanted to cry. Staring at it alone just made me feel a lot better, and now it's mine again! I took a deep breath, and my hand started moving towards it. When I touched it, I started smiling and the tears started. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ryan staring at me, and I could feel Mulan's eyes on me as well.

"I'm sorry, it's just—this necklace means a lot," I said, wiping the tears from my face. I took the necklace, and wore it around my neck once more. It even felt great having it on me again. I had my hand on it, and I looked towards Mulan. "Thank you so much! I don't even know how to repay you, this is just..."

"You don't have to repay me," Mulan said, giving a warm smile. She wanted to say something, but she looked over to Ryan and I took the clue. I told Ryan to wait outside, and he raised his eyebrow and walked out of the tent. When he was out of sight, Mulan sighed. "Maybe you haven't realized it yet, but there's someone who loves you with all their heart. I can't tell you who, since they told me not to, but I want you to know at least that much."

I tilted my head in confusion. I had an inkling of whom she was talking about, but I wasn't sure how to respond to that. I was grateful for the necklace, and the person who she was talking about, but even with the necklace back... I still felt like I was forgetting many things, mainly about Sora. Maybe the necklace, since it's a gift from him, would help me remember. It's still too soon to tell though, and even then I didn't have a thing for Sora. I looked at Mulan, and smiled. "I don't think I'm looking for love right now, but thank you for letting me know."

Mulan sighed, and nodded her head while still smiling. We left the tent, and looked at Ryan talking with the three soldiers. They all walked over to us, and the soldiers laughed with Ryan as they did.

"So, _Marie_, you guys heading back?" Yao said as he looked at me. I kept forgetting to tell him my name, but I guess Ryan took care of that. I nodded, and gave a smile to him and the rest of gang. As much fun as it was being back here, I had to a mission to finish with Donald, Goofy, and Sora. Ryan and I said our farewells to everyone, and walked towards the gummi ship. I was very glad that I had my necklace back, but there was still a 'left-out' feeling there. I don't know what I have to do to make it go away, but I hope I find it soon. This feeling sucks. We boarded the ship, and made out way back towards Donald and Goofy's world. I hope the boys are doing all right...and I wonder if they've noticed I'm gone...

**ȶ  
>Sora, Donald and Goofy<strong>

The boys had finished fighting off the last of the heartless, and the king simply shook Sora's hand before he left. They were left confused, but decided to follow him towards another curtain door. That room had a ball of darkness sucking in everything in sight, and they fought off another horde of heartless. The king yet again shook Sora's hand, and they followed him out towards other curtained doors. They kept seeing recordings of Maleficent, but didn't understand the meaning of it. They didn't bother worrying about it at the moment, since they had three more doors to go. As soon as they were about to go, however, a small voice stopped them, and they looked towards the entrance of the world. Or the door that Merlin created. They all went on their toes when they saw who it was, and wasn't sure how to act. It was Marie.

**ȶ  
>Marie<strong>

As I walked through the door, I saw Donald, Goofy and Sora standing at the center of the town square. I shouted out their names, and they all looked at me. They seemed tensed though, and I wasn't sure why until it hit me. Fake Marie. I sighed, and gave them a big smile, hoping they would tell me from the faker. They didn't. They were still on edge, and I continued to walk up to them. I stopped, and looked at them—how was I going to convince them?

"You guys..., it's me, the real Marie," I said as I placed my hands on my hips. "Fakey tried to kidnap me and bring me to Organization XIII."

They were still unsure of me, and I lowered my head. I heard a jingling noise, and noticed my necklace. Of course, I can use that! I looked back at Sora, and pointed at my necklace. He gasped as he stared at it, and I smiled again. "I went with Ryan to find the necklace, which was with Mulan. She found it in the snow, and gave it back."

Sora smiled, and walked closer to me. I know I won him over because I was sure the fake Marie didn't know about Mulan or anyone there. He was glad I was safe, and so was I. Who knows what could have happened if Organization XIII had their hands on me. I'd probably be dead... well, not really, since they need my powers... I sighed. People just want me for my powers. How sad. The guys filled me in on what happened while I was away, and I was glad the king was safe. They were ready to check out three other spots, and I nodded. Ryan was back on the ship and resting, since he was tired. I walked along with Sora and went towards one of the curtained doors.

**ȶ **

We finished dealing with all three of the curtains, and I saw the king shaking Sora's hand. After we left the area, we saw a memory of Maleficent, and what seemed like her plans. I was mentioned in them, and that didn't surprise me. Maleficent was one of the people so intent on getting my powers, and I wonder if she would still want to catch me even though I don't have the powers I did in the past. Pete was in the memory to, and it seemed like after wishing for the past a door similar to the one we entered Timeless River with appeared in front of him. After that it was pretty apparent what Maleficent's plan was, and that was trying to take over the castle by smashing the cornerstone of light. We also realized that this place wasn't a separate planet, it was the past! Sora and Donald wondered about it, and mentioned that we could even change the future. Of course, Goofy was against it, stating that Merlin had faith in us. They were only joking about changing the future, but I was starting to think about it. If I could change my past I wonder how my future would be? Would I be here with Donald, Goofy and Sora?

"It was Pete after all," Sora said as he placed a finger on his chin. Yeah, since Maleficent only told him to take care of it, it was safe to assume that Pete was the one with the plan to destroy the cornerstone of light. Of course the Pete in this world had a nasty attitude, he didn't seem all that bad.

"Look!" Donald shouted. We all looked at the corner and noticed Pete, who was mumbling about taking over the castle. He was definitely the bad Pete. Donald and I turned around, and we noticed the stone was taken.

"If they've taken the stone, they'll fill the castle with darkness," I said as I looked at the rest. Sora agreed, and we were about to leave until we saw the Pete from this world running past us. He was trying to find the person who stole his boat, and it was obvious that it was the Pete from the future...er, if that made sense. Sora was having a headaches with so many Petes running around, and I think Goofy was, too. Of course, we still followed, and hoped to find them both in the same place. We saw a boat nearby, and the cornerstone of light attached to it! We sped up a bit, and saw the two petes fighting.

"Waaaaaaaaaaait!" the one from the past said. He came running a bit before us, and we noticed our Pete glaring at the other.

"Shuddup!" he complained, and pushed the Pete from the past. He was mumbling something but we really only heard the end, and that his future was on the line and that he _needed_ the boat. The two started fighting, and unsurprisingly the future Pete gave a hard punch that made the other Pete fly away. Literally, he made him fly to who knows where! As we came running down the path, future Pete jumped on the boat and stuck out his tongue at us. What a child! I shook my head, and we watched as the boat started moving. Sora took out his Keyblade, and Donald, Goofy and I did the same with our weapons. Pete stared back at us, and just kept acting like a darn child. He had a couple of boxes with him, and started throwing them at us. Luckily, Sora had good aim and used his Keyblade to deflect the boxes and threw them back. There was no way I could do that, so I just kept watch. Eventually, Pete slipped and the whole boat turned around and came closer to the shore. We quickly ran towards it, and Sora immediately jumped on the hook that was connected to the cage. He started hacking away trying to open the cage, and we helped as well. I chanted a couple of fire spells along with Donald, and Goofy kept hitting it with his shield. Heartless appeared and I opted to take care of them while the rest were dealing with the cornerstone of light.

I slashed the few heartless that were around and chanted a couple of spells. In a couple of moments I heard Pete wailing, and the sound of something breaking. I finished up with hitting the last few heartless, which were pretty much shadows, and quickly made my way towards Sora and the rest. We watched as the boat slowly made it's way back to the shore along with the cornerstone of light, but noticed Pete was getting away. We decided to follow Pete, since the stone was safe now. When we walked into the next area we saw Pete and the Pete from the past fighting it out. It was painfully obvious that the Pete from the past was losing, and we watched as he fell back from the punches he received. We took out our weapons, and our Pete started laughing. "You're still wet behind the ears!"

"Then try us!" Sora shouted. The Pete from the past got up and ran past us, nearly knocking Goofy and Sora down. He was going to fight too, and it was greatly appreciated. Even if Pete was a bit childish, he was unmistakeably strong. I concentrated on healing while the rest went on offensive.

**ȶ **

A few more hits and spells later, Pete went down. It took us a while, and Pete had acquired some new and pretty powerful attacks. It was also very effective how Donald concentrated on offensive spells while I kept healing everyone. I noticed my healing spells were stronger than Donald's too, while his offensive spells were stronger than mine. I didn't use my Keyblade at all either, since I was just healing. For some reason though, I feel like I'm failing my own Keyblade...I just don't feel strong enough I guess. Well, back to the task at hand. When we defeated Pete, he got up and summoned the door that he used to enter this place, and ran for it. Sora was quick to seal it up with his Keyblade, and the Pete from the past was really confused.

"Just who was that creep!?" he shouted. Sora raised his eyebrow, and pointed out the fact that it was him from the future—but Goofy came in to stop him before he did. Like our journey last year, we couldn't be meddling. Or muddling as Goofy once stated, Pete from the past apologized, and Donald made a joke about not growing a habit out of it. Pete offered to let us board his steam boat and even offered Sora to pilot it.

**ȶ**

The boat was a fun ride, and we all stood near it's wheel while Sora steered it around the place. Everyone seemed happy, and Donald even tugged the string that made the boat whistled. I laughed at the fun we had, and looked out ahead. Despite this place being black and white, it was a very pretty place to be. I was especially happy to have my necklace back, and I glanced over to Sora's neck. We didn't talk much during our visit to this place, and somehow it was a little upsetting. We used to talk a lot last year, but lately it was just a lot of awkwardness. When I think about it, I really miss those times. But, somehow, it can't be like that unless I remember everything. Yuffie and Aerith made comments with the word 'lover', and even Mulan told me about love and feelings. What am I missing in order to finally be at ease with myself? Well, not completely at ease with my powers being all kaput and all, but at least with my memory.

I guess it's finally time to talk to Sora about it.

* * *

><p>Hey, sorry about the late update. I'm trying really hard and will have about three more chapters out until I take time to make three or more chapters out, and another set... You get it lol. I hope you liked the chapter, and I hope I can get the other ones out. :D<p>

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>I hope you found three updates to your liking, I'm trying my best to get this story done, and recent motivation is making me keep going!

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>Haha, yeah it's been a good while. It's also been a good while since I updated. Isn't it for the ipod or tablets? My friend had a game called Slender on her ipod touch. You've been busy!

I've changed a few things, but the necklace is still subtly important. The main thing to her memory now is how Ryan Will leave the gang. In a way, you're right! She doesn't remember how he looks at the moment, only when he was younger, so he'll still be saddened when she doesn't remember the time they had in Twilight Town or their brief time in O.C.

I hope so :D

**Dracula x:  
><strong>Well that and the fact that she made Marie forget about Sora and what they had.

**LVl-ZeR0:  
><strong>Well, I hope her death Will be as awesome as you expect it to be! Maybe a little sad on the side.

**Trubeque:  
><strong>o: Physics! So much physics!

**Dracula-key:  
><strong>Yea, you're right. He didn't have time to go find her, but he was glad she came back. With the necklace it'll help her memory, though not by a lot.

**DaniPotterLovesGod:  
><strong>I was in a slump, but I think I found my creativity, and I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner. I would love to know the article or what you read, and that sounds like a pleasant idea. I've had to rethink some things in this story, and I hope I don't go changing it again. I hope you find these three updates to be satisfying!


	32. The Power Of Loyalty

**Marie's Casual wear:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**Ryan:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562 

**A\N:**  
>As I've said before, both Ryan and the necklace have been changed up. Ryan won't be with the gang anymore after a while, but he'll go out with a bang and help a huge chunk of Marie's memory! The same goes for the fake Marie, who will provide Marie with a valuable self-esteem boost. The necklace also helps with memory, but in a very subtle, sub-conscious way.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Two<strong>

**ȶ **

**The power of loyalty**

After having some fun on the steam boat, we returned the cornerstone of light to it's place, and headed to the door. Donald was still thinking about changing the future, but Goofy and Sora dragged him out of the past. As much as anyone wanted to change the past, would they be strong enough to? I don't think I would change it, despite everything that happened. Who knows if I would even be here today.

"Welcome back!" we heard Queen Minnie say as we walked through the door. We all stood and stared at her, who smiled widely at us. "Because of your bravery, the castle is safe and protected again."

Merlin expressed his concern whether if we did anything reckless, and Donald immediately denied it. Goofy and Sora laughed, and I chuckled along. Donald abruptly turned around, and called out a woman named Daisy. We all turned to face the woman, and she was stunning! Her dress and her stance made her seem like royalty. Donald ran towards her, and told her that she was back. Sora raised his eyebrow, and looked at Goofy, who explained. "Daisy is Donald's very special sweetheart."

I blushed when he said sweetheart, and I think Sora did too. He chuckled, and quickly raised his arms behind his head. We continued to stare at them, until Daisy suddenly had her hands on her hips.

"Donald, you forgot about our date again!" she scolded him. "You'd better have a good excuse this time!"

Donald cowered in fear, and tried to explain. Daisy knew we were on an important mission, but I think she felt pretty much neglected about him forgetting their dates. Donald quickly looked around, and noticed the door. Merlin was quick to remind him about not doing anything, but Donald kept running until daisy caught up. Everyone watched as she chased after him, and it brought out a good laugh. We stopped laughing once Sora's Keyblade started to glow, and we all looked at the cornerstone of light. We knew where this was going, and we watched as Sora unlocked a path to a new world. I was a little sad that I couldn't help Sora with this, but I felt like it was his job, not mine. When he was done, Sora told Daisy that we needed Donald for a little longer and tried to make her feel assured that he would come back. Daisy still wasn't convinced, but Donald assured her himself that he would be back. I smiled at the two, it was definitely cute to see them together.

We said our farewells to the rest of the group, and made our way towards the gummi ship. Before Sora and I got on, I grabbed his hand, and led him towards a more secluded area. He looked confused, but I really wanted to know what he knew of me. We stopped, and Sora looked at me as he questioned about it.

"What's wrong?" he asked. I looked away for a bit, trying to compose and figure out how I was going to word what I wanted to ask. I took a deep breath, and looked at him.

"I wanna remember all that I forgot these past few years," I told him. I took a big gulp before continuing on. "But at the moment, I wanna figure out what I forgot about you. It seems like everyone knows something that I don't."

I looked at Sora, who gave me a sympathetic look. I didn't know why, but it was bugging me that I forgot mostly everything involving Sora. I tried keeping it to myself, but too much is too much, and I wanted to know what the deal was. He kept staring at me, and it seemed like he was trying to figure out what to say in response. I held my breath, and bit the lower part of my lip. When he sighed, he spoke. "...We like each other a lot."

I wasn't exactly sure what he meant by that, but he continued on.

"We had something special," he said. I got why he said 'had' instead of 'have' since I couldn't remember anything, and couldn't return any feelings. He continued. "We had a lot of fun, and we understood each other so well. I promised myself I would never leave your side, since your memory was bad last year, too."

I only stared at him as he continued. He told he that I was always hugging him, and how I made him feel. He was even scared at one point thinking that I would forget about him, and thus made me the necklace that I have on. I really wanted to cry, because it sounded like the Marie last year was so much more lively than the one now. I was too serious for my own good, but I figured it was because I had to. I looked at Sora, and gave him a small smile as he continued on. When he noticed, he stopped and smiled back. I sighed as I spoke, "I wish I could see that Marie."

"She's still here," he said, grabbing hold of my hands. "I think she's just lost, but I'll help anyway I can because I really care about you."

I didn't back away or take my hands out of his. Instead, I held his hands tightly. I don't think I have ever heard Sora say that he cared about me from his own mouth. He has hugged me, kissed my knee, and did a lot of lovey dovey stuff. At first I was really creeped out by it, but now I seem to understand. I did grow to sort of like his caring ways, but him saying it... it made my stomach flutter. He started chuckling, and I asked him what was up, and his smile grew wider.

"I remember back in Pooh's world we had a talk," he said. "You were so scared about your memory. You were remembering a lot, and you were scared that since you forgot about them once, you would forget about them again. This reminds me of back then."

I smiled along with him. It certainly felt really nice telling him about my concerns, and it made me feel special when he said he cared for me, and that he'll stay by my side. I just wish I could remember. I really do. I voiced this to Sora, and he hugged me, telling me he'll help me get my memory back. I didn't return the hug, since I am still getting used to his lovey ways, but I am grateful for his help.

He let go of the hug, and we returned to the ship. Everyone was already seated and ready for departure. Sora ran and jumped to his seat, and I took a seat next to Ryan, who was overlooking the weaponry of the ship. Sora started up the ship, and we were already on our way to the new world.

**ȶ**

After fighting off the space heartless, we took a look at the world before us, which was named Port Royal. I was curious as to what kind of world it was, and I think Sora, Donald and Goofy were too. Ryan was going to come along, and I was glad to know that he was excited about it. He was kept inside when we went to Timeless River, so he's finally getting to leave and explore. We landed the ship, and quickly got off. Port Royal looked pretty gloomy, and we walked around for a bit. There wasn't a person in sight. We made it to an open-view area, and Sora crossed his arms as the other two looked around.

"This place is...," Sora started, looking around before Goofy finished his sentence. "Kinda different."

I looked around and noticed it was pretty much an island surrounded by water. Nothing like Neverland, but somehow it felt a bit similar. I scratched my head. "I wonder if there are people around here."

Not long after I spoke we heard people screaming... well, I guess we found them! We quickly made our way towards the sound, and looked over a bridge. Sora scouted the area before determining something was up.

"Organization XIII?" Goofy asked. Donald added that it could have been the heartless. There was only one way to find out, and Sora agreed to it. Ryan was awfully quiet, but I figured he was scouting out the area like we were.

**ȶ**

**Pete **

Staring at a couple of strange men, Pete found out that these pirates were—as they called it—not among the living nor the dead. He was pretty intrigued how they looked like regular men, but when the moonlight shined on them they were nothing but cloth and bones. He also figured that he would take the time to warn them about Sora.

"Well, if you see two doofuses and two brats holdin' a Keyblade, steer clear," he warned. "They got a kinda magic that don't belong in this world, see? Nobody knows what this magic will do to ya. 'Specially when the moon's showing whatcha really are."

"A match for Barbossa, you say?" the leader pirate, whose name _is_ Barbossa said. In about a matter of seconds, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Marie and Ryan appeared. Three of them with weapons in hand. Pete scoffed and pointed them as the 'punks' he was talking about. Sora growled, and raised his Keyblade.

"Who're you calling punks?" shouted Sora, who told them their names and to _not_ forget it. The pirates all looked at them, and smirked.

"That we won't. And we'll engrave it on your tombstone, to be sure," Barbossa said. Pete laughed a bit, and Barbossa ordered half his men to fight and the other to look for a medallion.

"Aw, we only get to stomp on a few of you?" Sora said, provoking the pirate leader and his men. Barbossa only laughed, and walked off as the rest of his men went to look for the medallion.

**ȶ**

**Marie **

I guess Neverland and Port Royal are pretty similar, especially with the pirates! I remember Sora telling me about pirates in Neverland, but since I never got to really explore I didn't see them. I remember trying to help Riku help Kairi, but after that is a bit of a blur. Well, we prepared for battle, and almost instantly the pirates started attacking. Sora and Donald started getting offensive, while Goofy charged at some and I healed. Ryan was standing close by, and I had my eye on him. After a while, I noticed Sora and Donald were getting confused, and I looked at them.

"It's no use!" Sora shouted. "We can't beat them!"

I ran up to Sora and Donald, and the pirates just laughed. We looked up to see the cloud moving, and the moon appeared. We looked at the pirates, and they all started to transform! My eyes widened, and it was really creepy seeing these guys go from flesh to bones. Everyone else gasped, and the pirates laughed yet again. Pete came back, and warned them about our magic. The pirates asked him why, and Pete sighed about having to repeat himself. Sora looked at us, and we all nodded, knowing that magic would help against them. He also thanked Pete, who grew pretty angry with having spilled the beans. Sora attacked the closest pirate, and soon everyone else followed. We went back to our positions, and as I was healing I saw a pirate chasing after Ryan. I furrowed my eyebrows together, since there is no way a pirate is going to try and hurt my cousin. I healed the gang one last time before looking for Ryan.

**ȶ**

**Sora**

After fighting off the last round of pirates, Pete told them it wasn't over before running off. Sora put his Keyblade away, and told Donald and Goofy that they had work to do if Pete was present. They were also curious about the pirate captain, and Sora wouldn't be too thrilled about having him turn into a heartless. He looked over to the docks, and tuned to Donald and Goofy.

"Hey, maybe we can take a pirate ship out for a spin!" he suggested. He was really into pirates after all. He noticed the look on Donald and Goofy, and laughed as he joked about it. "Weren't those guys headed into town?"

"Yeah, I think they were looking for treasure," Goofy said. Sora nodded, and turned around to Marie, only... she wasn't in sight. Neither was Ryan for that matter. He was sure they got rid of all the pirates in the area, but he was getting worried nonetheless.

"Maybe she went into town?" Donald asked. Sora hoped so, and soon started running towards there. When they did, however, they saw a man being surrounded by heartless. Donald quickly got out his weapon, and both Sora and Goofy did the same. They ran in front of the man, and told him to take cover. He had shoulder length brown hair and had an outfit with a color scheme of brown, black and white. He was a little hesitant to leave, but did so nonetheless. Luckily, the heartless in question were only shadows, so they were pretty easy for Sora, Donald and Goofy. Once they were finished fighting, the man who took cover came back and complimented their skills.

"You really think we're that good?" Sora asked, placing his hands behind his head. Goofy noticed prior to fighting the heartless that the man's friend was being taken away, and asked if he found her.

"I was too late," he said, lowering his head. "But I must rescue her! Will you help me?"

Although Sora wanted to find Marie, he couldn't turn down the offer to help someone in need. The world wasn't a big place, so he had high hopes that he would find her along the way, and she wasn't alone either. He introduced himself, Donald and Goofy to the man.

"I'm William Turner, but call me Will," the man said, shaking each of their hands. They were in a hurry, and quickly headed towards the docks.

**ȶ**

**Marie**

"I think we lost him," Ryan said as he bent down to catch his breath. I sighed, and was a little frustrated how we were pretty far from Sora. Well, that and that I think we were lost. I tried fighting off the pirate, but we just ran for it instead. Ryan caught his breath, and we looked around. We saw the docks nearby, but I didn't want to take any chances since, you know... pirates and all. They probably had their pirate ships docked their.

"You know, I think it's the only place that's here," Ryan mentioned. I sighed, and figured he was right.

"Okay, let's make our way there," I said as we started walking. "Let's just stay on guard."

We walked towards the harbor slowly, and made sure no one was around to attack us or something. This place was really gloomy, and I couldn't see one speck of bright color anywhere. We were close by, and I noticed that there were no ships in sight, and I sighed out of relief. We did hear people talking, and Ryan was able to point out Donald and Goofy. I was so glad to hear that. We walked along the path towards the docks, and I was able to see Sora, Donald and Goofy. We also saw another man, but it was safe to assume he was good.

"Sora!" I shouted. He cocked his head up, and smiled when he saw me. I waved my hand, and we started walking faster towards them. Soon enough we met up with them, and I smiled at the man who was standing beside Sora.

"Oh yeah, this is Will," Sora introduced. I nodded, told him mine along with Ryan's name, and shook his hand. He seemed pretty polite, and really well mannered. He was about to say something, until he looked ahead.

"You... What are you doing aboard the interceptor? It's off-limits to civilians!" he asked as he walked to where a ship was. I raised my eyebrow, and didn't even notice that ship at all. It blended in with the scenery so well, but I shook my head and followed along with everyone else. The man he was talking too was very...raggedy looking. He had long, braided black hair, and a braided beard. I think he was wearing make-up...and he had a lot of black and white on. He also had a brown bandana, but it was mostly the make-up that caught my attention. Oddly enough, it looked _good_ on him.

"Ah, fortunate that I'm going to commandeer her, then," the braided man said. "She'll make a fine pirate ship."

"A pirate!" I noticed that Sora's eyes grew wide when he said that, and his mouth opened when he heard the word pirate. I wasn't really sure, but I think he's had a fascination for pirates ever since Neverland. I did remember him talking on and on about them last year, and the fact that he could fly around the place. He ran a bit towards the pirate, who stopped doing what he did to look at us.

"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please," he said as he continued to stare at us. Sora had a wide smile on his face, and I could tell he was pretty darn excited. Will shook his head, and seemed a bit hesitant. I wondered what was going on, but then he spoke up.

"Take me with you," he finally said, explaining his situation. "Help me hunt down the Black Pearl and save Miss Swann."

He then went on to mention that he got Jack out of the jail cell, so he owed him. Jack told him that he needed to win the girl's heart alone, and I raised my eyebrow. This is a pretty selfish pirate... but then they all kinda are. Sora tried convincing him, but he still wouldn't budge. He placed his finger on his chin, and thought of something. He also mumbled something, though we couldn't tell, and he eventually let us on. Will walked onto the ship and thanked Jack who, in reply, told him it was Captain Jack Sparrow. Sora walked up to him and introduced us all, and he nodded. Will also introduced himself, and hurriedly made his way into the ship.

"Sora, you really wanna be a pirate?" Donald asked, looking at Sora. He smiled, and told him no. maybe he just really liked pirates, but not enough to actually be one. I shook my head, and looked out at the water. Ryan came in after me, and he whistled as he also stared at the sea.

"I can only see water," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Where would those pirates go?"

"Who knows," I said. This was a new world, so we didn't really know much. I've come to realize though that every world has it's little surprises, so we're going to be surprised. "But I bet you never imagined roaming around with pirates."

Ryan chuckled, and leaned against the railing. He was pretty quiet, and I wondered if something was up. The ship started moving, and I looked around. Jack was steering the ship, while Sora watched. Donald and Goofy walked around, and Will merely stood still—probably thinking about Miss Swann. I sighed, and walked a little closer to Ryan and decided to ask him what was wrong.

"Oh, well," he said as he continued to look at the sea. "I dunno, I keep thinking 'bout certain things. I wanna know what happened to my aunt and uncle, and who this Aura chick is. She's been getting on my nerves."

I stared at the water down below, and wondered the same things he did. I had a lot on my mind, but worrying or wondering wasn't going to get me closer to the answers. I wanted to know where my parents were, what ever happened to Stella, and Aura. Organization XIII, my memory and my powers were also among the pile of worries. I was curious about Aura though, and why she got on Ryan's nerves.

"She knows about my anemia," he said, sounding a bit bitter about it. I stared at him with wide eyes—how does she know? I don't even know how the girl looks and she knows something as personal as Ryan's anemia? Ryan just scoffed about it, though. "She even mocked me asking if she should feel sorry for me."

I wasn't really liking the things he was saying, but from what he had said about her, she's also helped him a great bunch. She helped him find me, and she even saved me from being kidnapped. Just who is she and why is she always poking her nose in my business? Not that I don't appreciate it, but she certainly hides in the shadows as she does it.

"She kinda seems like she knows a great deal about Organization XIII," he added. I wonder if she knows anyone directly connected to them. There are a lot of things we could benefit if we tracked her down and asked her about them, but it's like shes never there when I am. I sighed, it's not like I had time to hunt her down and ask her these questions, but I do hope I could at least meet and talk to her once. I stopped thinking about that when I heard voices, and I directed my attention towards the wheel. Jack had a compass with him, and I heard Sora ask about it. I walked closer towards them, and Jack was so fixated on it.

"It'll be that she leads us to the Isla de Muerta," he said. He quickly looked up and stared at us. "—Where Barbossa's headed. Savvy?"

Sora asked how he was so sure, and Jack put his compass away and looked at us again. He told us that he and Barbossa had their eyes on a treasure—Aztec gold. It was hidden on the Isla de Muerta, but Barbossa ended up betraying Jack and stole his own ship. As it turned out though, Barbossa already stole the treasure, and the curse that came with it. I was a little confused about having a curse, but maybe it's a 'don't steal what's yours or you'll get it' kind of thing. He told us that he wasn't interested in treasure that came with a defect, but that he only wanted what was originally his—The Black Pearl. The wind grew a bit stronger and I looked out to see that we were about to dock. The ship stopped moving, and we all got off.

"You lads and lass wait here," Jack said as he pointed his finger at us. "Young Turner and I Will rescue the lady."

"Hey! what about us?" Sora protested. Jack smirked and told us that we were going to guard the ship, and I personally didn't mind. Plus, Jack said it was a task given to the bravest of pirates. Buuuut, it was pretty obvious he was just trying to be nice. Sora lowered his eyes, and agreed to it since he didn't want to disobey a pirate.

**ȶ**

We all lounged around the ship, and I was sitting on the railing. Ryan was still looking out at the sea thinking about what we had been talking about, and Sora leaned against the railing near me with his hands behind his head. Donald and Goofy stood near us, and it was pretty nice just hanging around. It really reminded me of Twilight Town with Hayner, Pence and Olette.

"I think he was just trying to fast-talk us...," I heard Sora say as he looked at us. Donald told him that he was the one who fell for it, and Sora groaned. He wondered what was keeping those two, and even Goofy was concerned about the amount of time they were taking.

"If Pete's hanging around, there must be Heartless here, too," Sora continued. Jack and Will weren't used to fighting Heartless either, so it was kind of worrisome. Even so, we still had to guard the ship. It would suck if someone took it and then we'd be ship-less! And I'm not really interested in swimming all the way from here to the town. I shook my head, and looked at them all.

"Why don't you guys go, and I'll stay here to guard the ship," I suggested. Sora wasn't really for it, and Donald and Goofy were a bit iffy on it as well. They explained that anything could happen if I was left alone, and I puffed my cheeks—so much for the vote of confidence!

"Aw, no, it's not like we don't have confidence in you," Sora assured, giving me a secure smile. "But what if fakey came, or a bunch of those guys from Organization XIII? I just want you close to me."

I smiled when he said that, but I guess I did understand. I'm not at all strong like I was last year, and I know I couldn't stand a chance against fakey or Organization XIII. Even some of the stronger classed heartless would be tough for me to fight on my own. I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment, I guess it wouldn't hurt to leave the ship alone. I looked at them as I nodded, and told them I was going. Of course, with me going along Ryan had to come along as well. He walked over to us, and gave us all a smirk.

"Hey man, with a name like 'Isla de Muerta' it ought to be interesting," he said. I was glad Ryan was getting into it, since seeing him so serious and out of it was a little weird. I looked at everyone, and we all gave an understanding nod and left.

* * *

><p>I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. I had originally planned to have Marie in a pirate outfit, but I changed that idea because I wasn't really feeling it, plus I don't think Marie is into pirates all that much to begin with.<p>

However, good thing is that Marie is really wanting to remember Sora. Sad thing is that she isn't going to remember until pretty far in the game. It'll take a hit to the head to make her remember, _literally_.


	33. Ahoy, Mateys!

**Marie's Casual wear:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**Ryan:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**A\N:**  
>As I've said before, both Ryan and the necklace have been changed up. Ryan won't be with the gang anymore after a while, but he'll go out with a bang and help a huge chunk of Marie's memory! The same goes for the fake Marie, who will provide Marie with a valuable self-esteem boost. The necklace also helps with memory, but in a very subtle, sub-conscious way.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-T<strong>**hree**

**ȶ **

**Ahoy, Mateys! **

Jack and Will tip-toed through the cave, and when they found what they were looking for, they stayed quiet. They peered through the little space they had and saw Barbossa and his men laughing and raising their fists in the air. They also saw Miss Swann, and Will gasped.

"Every last piece that went astray we have returned, save for this!" Barbossa shouted to his men. "And now, the blood Will be repaid to free us from this curse forever!"

**ȶ**

**Marie**

This place definitely gave off a creepy vibe, and we continued trekking on while being cautious. We dealt with some heartless along the way, but we just mostly walked through the stony path. As soon as we could step any further though, we saw Will and a woman running towards us. Oh, it seemed he saved Miss Swann but... I don't see Jack anywhere.

"Quick, they're after us!" Will warned as he approached us. Right after he said that we saw some of Barbossa's men chasing after them. Sora and I, along with Donald and Goofy took out our weapons, and prepared for battle.

"We'll hold them off!" Sora told Will. "Give us a sign when the ship's ready to sail."

Will agreed to light the signal fire, and we prepared for the men giving chase. They took out their weapons, and immediately started attacking us. Sora blocked the first attack, and Donald came in with one of his spells. I decided to attack one of the pirates, and we engaged in battle against each other. He had a dagger with him, so he came at me fast to get a cut, but I managed to block his attack. I gave him a whack from my Keyblade, but it seemed like it wasn't enough. I ran back a few and fired a spell at him—which thankfully held him back a bit. We only held them off for about a minute before we saw the signal on the ship. We all put our weapons back, and quickly made our way towards the ship. It wasn't terribly far, so Ryan was able to run all the way there. Once we made it though, Ryan took a seat and took a breather. Sora asked where Jack was, and Will simply scratched his head.

"Well..."

**ȶ**

**Jack and Will**

**Moments before**

"And now, the blood Will be repaid to free us from the curse forever!" Barbossa shouted. Will and Jack stared a bit before Will grew impatient and decided to was time to save Elizabeth.

"No, not yet!" Jack whispered. He told him that they needed to wait for the opportune moment, but Will just scoffed and told him that Jack only wanted to go when it benefited him the most. Jack sighed, and interrupted.

"May I ask you something?" he asked. Will quieted down and Jack walked up to him. "Have I ever given you reason not to trust me? Stay here... and try not to do anything stupid."

As soon as Jack started walking however, Will grabbed an oar, and immediately whacked the back of his head. Will dropped the oar, and quickly made his way to where Elizabeth was. Barbossa, on the other hand, had cut Elizabeth's palm, leaving a small slit on it. She winced at the pain, and then saw the coin with her blood fall on top of the others. She quickly covered her hand as he let her go, and waited for the curse to lift.

But, when nothing happened, he grew angry, and looked at Elizabeth. "You! Maid! Your father. Was your father William Turner?"

When she told him no, he quickly threw her aside, and she fell to the floor. The other pirates demanded what was going on, and Barbossa shouted as he asked who brought Elizabeth. Everyone started getting angry, and Elizabeth got up from the floor. A coin landed near her, and when she grabbed it, a hand grabbed hers. It was Will's.

"Hurry!" he whispered. They quickly ran away, but Barbossa had spotted them. Not caring about the woman, he told his men to chase after them once he saw the medallion in Will's hand.

**ȶ**

"I had to," Will said as he told everyone about everything. He mentioned that Jack wasn't a fairy-tale pirate, and that he couldn't be trusted no matter much he sweet talked someone. Sora and the gang weren't really sure about it all, and they kind of felt bad, but if they were being chased they needed to leave asap. Will started up the ship, and they were on their way to Port Royal. Once the ship was sailing smoothly, Elizabeth and Will stepped into the cabin below to fix her hand up, and a moment of silenced past before he spoke up.

"Is it true? You gave Barbossa my name instead of yours?" he asked. He finished up patching her hand, and lowered his head. "Why choose my name?"

She didn't know why, and Will had asked her where she got the medallion from. She sighed and told him that it was originally his, the day they found him drifting at sea. He was a bit glad to see it, since it was a gift from his father, who had sent it to him. Elizabeth apologized, but Will had no reason to be overly angry, and instead asked her why she took it.

"Because I was afraid that you were a pirate," she replied. It was awful to think about it, because of how close they were, and Will got up from his bending. He walked away, and looked out the window.

"Of course," he said. "It wasn't your blood they needed...it was my father's blood—My blood. The blood... of a pirate."

**ȶ**

**Jack**

"How the blazes did you get off that island, Jack?" Barbossa asked as he paced back and forth in front of Jack, who was tied to a pole. Jack rolled his eyes, obviously not too please being tied up.

"When you sailed me away in my ship and marooned me on that godforsaken spit of land, with naught but a pistol and a sing shot," he replied. "You forgot one very important thing, mate. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

Barbossa stopped walking, and warned him he wouldn't be making that mistake again. Jack offered that if he untied him he would negotiate with Will and try to get his medallion back, but Barbossa was smart not to trust another pirate, and told him it didn't sit well with him. Jack didn't care about him or anything else, and just wanted what was his and that was the Black Pearl. Barbossa laughed, and told his men to lock him up.

"We're coming up on the interceptor," one of his men said. "What do we do, Captain?"

"Whaddya think, you idiots!"

**ȶ**

**Marie**

Will was controlling the ship while everyone else looked around. Ryan and I were leaning against the railing, and then we heard Miss Swann shout at Will. We all quickly made our way to her, and she pointed out a ship—most likely Barbossa's ship. Donald asked what to do, and Sora wondered what Jack would do.

"I don't know," Will said as he began to think. "I suppose...he'd run for it."

"Sounds good to me." as soon as Sora said that, we felt an impact on the ship and we all fell over. I heard Miss Swann call out Will's name, and I noticed he fell overboard. Sora and everyone else tried to get up, but then another impact hit us again, and we kept falling. Goofy cried out about hitting the decks, and then we fell again from the impact. I saw Sora picking up a coin from the floor, and he got up as he spoke. "We're just gonna have to fight!"

We all got up and were able to stand. We looked over to the ship and noticed they put their cannons away, and I sighed out of relief. I was getting tired of falling over, but we weren't out of trouble yet. Sora came over and asked if I was alright, and I smiled as I nodded in response. I looked around and noticed that everyone else was alright. I looked at Sora's hand, which had the coin in it. We heard the roars of pirates coming onto our ship, and I gasped—they were fast! We took out our weapons, and I instructed Ryan to stay back with Miss Swann. He agreed, and the two hid behind some of the barrels aboard. Sora and Goofy got to work fighting, and Donald and I concentrated on healing and attacking with our spells. They were really aiming at Sora, and I wondered why until one of them grabbed the coin he had in his hand. Sora was able to grab it back, and this time they were attacking him a little harder than before. Goofy and Donald were way too busy to back him up, and the amount of pirates this Barbossa guy had was ridiculous! Ryan and Miss Swann were busy trying to hide, and before I knew it, Sora was surrounded. He wasn't doing so well with so many surrounding him, so I fired a couple of spells at the pirates. He looked my way and gave me a smile, and I returned it as I fired a couple of more spells. I was really glad that I talked to Sora about my memories, and even though I feel nothing for him I'm really liking the way he treats me. Everyone got rid of the few pirates left, and I placed my Keyblade away. I ran up to the rest, and they were all cheering about defeating the pirates.

"We beat the pirates!" Sora exclaimed as he raised his fist in the air. I smiled and cheered along, but then all of a sudden we heard Barbossa's voice and we turned around. Sora gasped as he saw Miss Swann and Jack. I gasped and quickly looked around, and I saw Ryan near Goofy. I sighed out of relief and looked at Barbossa and his men.

"Now then, I'll be having back that medallion," Barbossa said. He walked up a bit, and pointed at Miss Swann and Jack. "Unless it's more important than their lives?"

"Barbossa!" we heard a familiar voice say. We looked over to the railing, and saw Will with a pistol aiming at Barbossa. "Set her free!"

Barbossa laughed and told him to shoot, since he couldn't die. Will took a deep breath, and told him that indeed they couldn't, but he could. He took a moment before he spoke. "My name is Will Turner! My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner! His blood runs in my veins!"

Barbossa was shocked, but Will continued on with saying that if they didn't do what they were told he would pull the trigger. My eyes widened when he had the gun near his head, but Barbossa remained calmed and asked what his terms were. With a deep breath, Will spoke. "Release Elizabeth... as well as them."

He pointed at us, and Barbossa asked if he wanted anything else. Will only told them to leave, completely leaving out Jack. Barbossa agreed, but then he pulled a fast one on us. He said the heartless were staying behind, and we all looked around. I heard heartless coming in on the ship, and the moment I turned around, I felt something hard hit the back of my head, and everything went dark.

**ȶ**

**Sora**

Sora heard Marie yell before she went quiet and turned towards where she was. Immediately, he saw Pete with both Will and Marie, and scrambled to Barbossa's side. Sora shouted her name, and tried chasing after him, but was completely surrounded. Ryan also tried pushing through, but couldn't even move the pirates. He cursed at them for taking Marie, but all they did was laugh.

"No fair!" Sora shouted, obviously hating the disadvantage they were in. Ryan glared at Barbossa and Pete, and wasn't liking it as well.

The pirates grabbed them, tied them up, and brought them down towards the cabin. They sat them down, and from the door they heard Pete laughing as he praised Barbossa for his good work. It was incredibly easy to get what Maleficent wanted from the start, and who knew a bunch of pirates would get the work done? Elizabeth shouted at the captain, and Sora shouted that he would never trust a pirate ever again. They overheard one of the pirates talking about the powder kegs, and Barbossa gave the word that they were done and bade farewell to Sora and the rest. A moment passed and everything went quiet, with only Sora and everyone else making noise. Donald looked around trying to see if there was anything he could do, but when nothing popped up he looked at the rest.

"What are we gonna do!?" he said. Both him and Goofy weren't too fond of being blown to smithereens, and neither was everyone else. Jack stood quiet for a moment, and then told them not to worry. An average pirate knew when to surrender, and Sora couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. Jack chuckled, cut the rope, and looked at everyone else.

"First, we've got to see to the gunpowder," he said. He started cutting everyone else' rope, and told them that he wasn't about to lose the ship they were on. Sora wasn't planning on trusting a pirate again, and Jack merely acknowledged that. Everyone was untied and left for the deck, save Ryan and Elizabeth.

They noticed a bunch of flying heartless and a total of five burning barrels that they needed to get rid of. With the four of them attending to each one it wasn't long before they got to the last one. Donald and Goofy dealt with the last remaining heartless, while Sora and Jack threw the barrel off the ship. It really wasn't a tough battle at all, they just needed to get rid of the barrels. Once it was all clear, Elizabeth and Ryan walked up to the deck. They both ran up to the steering wheel and watched Jack set sail. It was the second time seeing Barbossa sail off with his ship, but he was going to get her back soon enough. Ryan walked over to Sora, Donald, and Goofy and wondered why Pete wanted Marie in the first place.

"Maleficent wants her," Sora told him. It was the truth, and he knew that without a doubt. Even last year she was so determined to get Marie, but with every chance she had Sora, Donald and Goofy had always stopped her.

"Who's Maleficent?" Ryan asked. Sora dropped his shoulders and explained along the way about her and her role in last year's adventure. Ryan understood the trouble she caused them, but he still wasn't sure why Marie was so important to every enemy they bumped into.

"It's not every enemy that we see," Goofy explained. "It's really only those organization fellows and Maleficent who want her."

"And I'll always be there to stop them," Sora said firmly. Ryan looked at him, and sighed as he lowered his head. Sora really loved his cousin, there was no doubt about that. He remembered how Aura told him that he should help Marie remember, but how was he going to do that? He was good at flirting and all that, but this was something that was serious. He didn't want to screw anything up or be blamed for anything. He sighed again, and noticed that they were already at the Isla de Muerta. Everyone got off the ship, but before they progressed Jack stopped and looked at Elizabeth.

"You stay with the ship, lass!" he said as he looked over to Elizabeth. She declined to do so, and worried that Will could die while she was away. When Jack tried to reassure her, she still didn't listen. Instead, Sora told her to trust him, and she stayed quiet for a minute.

"Sora, Donald, goofy—bring Will back safely," she said. She looked over to Ryan, who looked away. He wasn't sure about it, but he thought it was for the best.

"I'll stay with Elizabeth and keep guard of the ship," he said as he walked towards her. "I suck when it comes to running."

He gave a quick chuckle as he looked at the rest, and Sora nodded. Ryan also told him to bring Marie back safely, but he didn't have to say another word to Sora as it was the first thing on his list. Elizabeth and Ryan walked back to the ship, while the rest made their way deeper into the island.

**ȶ**

**Marie**

I wonder how many brain cells were dead with the amount of attacks I got to my head. I mean, really... well, when I came to I was in an area not far from where Will was. I heard what they were saying, but I was tied up and had a cloth over my mouth. I couldn't even move properly, but I did see what was happening sorta.

"Now, let's be tryin' this again!" I heard Barbossa shout. He looked at his men and laughed. "The last of the Aztec treasure has been returned. And now, the blood Will be repaid to free us from this curse forever!"

Once Barbossa assured that this time they would be free, I heard Sora's voice running into the scene. I tried looking to see where he was, but I was in between rocks, and I knew that he couldn't see me.

"Ahoy! Treasure, mateys!" he shouted. I couldn't help but chuckle, despite my situation. Hearing him sound so pirate-y was definitely a treat, and I heard Donald and Goofy as well. Barbossa was shocked that they made it out alive from whatever they were trapped with, and I was too! Donald assured him that they were indeed alive, and that they were pirates. Barbossa was getting serious by the sound of his tone, and sent his men to attack them. I only heard swords clashing, but after a while, I heard Sora's voice and I was relieved to know he sounded okay. I didn't hear any of Barbossa's men, but when I heard footsteps nearby, I panicked.

**ȶ**

**Sora**

Sora was able to clear the room of Barbossa's men, and freed Will from him captive. "Thank you, Sora," he said.

The young boy asked him where Marie was, but Will told him that he last saw her being dragged by Pete. Sora wasn't pleased at all when he heard that, but his attention changed towards Jack and Barbossa fighting. They were clashing their swords against each other, and Sora offered words of encouragement. Unfortunately, as Jack looked towards the young boy, Barbossa took the initiative and stabbed him right on the abdomen. He gave out a laugh and called the Captain of the Black Pearl a fool. Jack stumbled backwards, and walked into the moonlight. He quickly transformed into a body of bones, and thus couldn't die. It so happened that he touched the coin from the Aztec treasure beforehand, and he was quite thankful for it. Barbossa growled, and shouted out for Pete.

"Show yourself, Pete! The tide has changed," he shouted. Sora and the others turned around, and saw Pete with a very resistant Marie—who was tied up and mad a cloth over her mouth. He grabbed her along, since he still needed to take care of business in Port Royal.

"Marie!" Sora shouted. She stopped struggling when she saw him, and muffled out his name behind the cloth.

**ȶ**

**Marie**

"Let her go!" I heard Sora say. I was getting really annoyed about this cloth over my mouth, and the rope tied around my wrists were pretty tight. Plus, Pete's grip was pretty hard, too. Speaking of which, Pete looked at Barbossa, and laughed as he knew that the pirate would be needing his help. He gave out a whistle, and a giant chameleon appeared behind Barbossa. This thing was huge, and I wanted to help Sora and the others defeat it, but with Pete holding my arm it was impossible.

"Let's enjoy the show and see those punks fall," Pete said. I tried shouting at him, but he ignored me as his grip grew tighter. I was getting frustrated and tried my best to get out of this grip on me, but I was also watching Sora to make sure he was okay. The whole area grew pitch black all of a sudden and I shouted out for Sora, hoping that he would hear me. All I heard was the sound of swords clashing, grunts and attacks coming from the chameleon, and I was really wishing the lights were back on. The fighting continued for a while, and then the area lit up, and I was really glad. I was able to see Sora and Jack fighting with Barbossa, while Goofy rushed into him with his shield. Sora transformed into his wisdom form, and so Donald wasn't in sight. The area went back to darkness, and I gasped at the suddenness of it. I tried getting out of Pete's grip, but it wasn't working still. I heard the noise of the pistol and gasped, hoping Barbossa didn't shoot Sora or any of the others. Luckily I heard them all fighting, so I sighed. The area lit up again, and I saw them all heading straight to Barbossa. The area grew dark, and then I heard Barbossa cry out in pain. When the area lit up, I saw Sora, Donald, Goofy and Jack standing in front of Pete and I. Barbossa was passed out somewhere in the corner, and I saw Pete was getting nervous.

"Let her go!" Sora shouted. Pete hesitated, and it seemed like it he wasn't going to let me go anytime soon. I couldn't even concentrate and cast a spell with him moving me around so much, and I was getting really frustrated.

"I said let her go!" Sora shouted again. Pete kept moving me around with him panicking so much. But he tried keeping his cool and told them that he wasn't. If there was a time where I really needed my powers, it would be now. He stopped moving, and so I tried casting my fire spell. When I did, he started to move again, and I groaned in annoyance. I was getting really angry, and when I moved my feet around I noticed the ropes around my ankle were getting loose. I kept moving them around, and soon enough the rope was loose enough for me to...

"Yeow!" Pete cried out. The moment I kicked his shin he let go of me, and that was my cue to run towards Sora, Donald and Goofy. When I ran to them, Sora quickly grabbed hold of me and let loose the ropes and cloth around my mouth, and I took a deep breath.

"Thank you so much!" I exclaimed. Sora gave me a huge smile as he hugged me, and I just smiled as he did. I patted his back, and we let go. There was still some getting used to, but overall I was getting better with handling Sora's affectionate hugs.

"Right! Care to surrender, Barbossa?" Jack asked as he stared at Barbossa, who got up from being passed out. We all turned our attention to them, and Barbossa took out his sword and pointed it at Jack. He wasn't going to give up without a fight. Jack just shook his head, and took out his pistol. "What say you we call it—a draw?"

Barbossa laughed and told him that he would never learn, while Jack threw the coin and shot at Barbossa. With the bad pirate laughing, we all turned to Will, who had his hand above the Aztec treasure. Barbossa turned towards Will, and with his hand stained with blood, he dropped both the coins—the one he got from Jack and the other he had himself—onto the chest. Barbossa stumbled, and told us how he felt cold. Within moments he keeled over, and Jack just stared at him.

**ȶ**

When we finished up with everything, we returned to the ships, and stopped when Will turned to Jack. He asked him what he was going to do, and Jack mentioned he was a free man that now he had his ship with him. Will thanked him, and offered his hand, but he flinched, scared that he was going to get hit again.

"Hey, jack—good luck," Sora said. Donald told him to be good, and Goofy and I also said our farewells. He gave us a wink and started heading out, but stopped when Miss Swann came running in with her arms open. The poor pirate had his arms open, but she completely passed him and hugged Will. Ryan also came out and was glad I was safe, and I was happy that he was concerned. Maybe he's growing up. I saw from the corner of my eye that Sora was blushing, and that Donald and Goofy were teasing him about it. When they looked my way, I blushed immediately. I looked away, and noticed Jack's compass started glowing. We all looked at Sora, and he nodded. He took out his Keyblade, and unlocked the path to a new world.

"You know, for a minute," Sora said as he looked at Donald. "I was afraid we were gonna lose Donald to the curse of the treasure!"

Goofy agreed and laughed. Donald was pretty angry that we thought that, and tapped his foot as he crossed his arms. I started laughing a bit more, and the gang looked at me. I stopped laughing, and smiled nervously at them as I asked. "What's wrong?"

"Ya look more happy," Goofy said as he gave me a smile. Donald agreed, and I stopped to think about. Maybe it was because of what I talked about with Sora, but I did feel a bit happier. I think... maybe... I'm getting closer to the me I was.

"I feel a lot more happier," I told them. I looked at Sora, and gave him a smile. He returned it, and in the back of my head, something was telling me to go and hug him tightly. I didn't though, but with that feeling in the back of my mind I felt like I was going to get closer to getting my memory back.

* * *

><p>I hoped you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope you've noticed a bit of change in Marie's attitude towards Sora. I think with her talking it out with Sora she gained a subtle piece of the memories she once had. It'll take a while, but I think Marie is starting to remember.<p>

On the flip side, Marie still struggles with herself and her self-esteem and the sorts. I think she's starting to lose hope in herself and her powers.


	34. Agrabah!

**Marie's Casual wear:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**Ryan:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**A\N:**  
>I will be rewriting 'Game Over' since I don't feel all that comfortable with it. Since it was off the bat, I left some things out, and didn't really tie all the connections that well. It will still have the element of being dragged into the game, but maybe elaborated a bit more. I feel when I rewrite it I'll be a lot more confident about it. Sorry for the inconvenience.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Four<strong>

**ଓ**

**Agrabah!**

We boarded the gummi ship and prepared for the new world ahead of us. Ryan told me that he hadn't heard from Aura whatsoever, and I wondered what she was even doing. I even wondered what fakey was doing. They were both mysteries, and I wanted to know more about them. There was also Stella, who wasn't even talking at all to me. I honestly felt like she abandoned me and took everything with her, but somehow I manage. She said I had power within me, and so far I believe her to be right. I did show that I had powers not from the usual ones everyone else had.

The thing that surprised me the most was how Ryan didn't flirt with Miss Swann. I knew he was alone with her when Sora and the rest came for me and Will, and I was expecting him to say how he tried flirting or how she really dug this or that. Instead he told me he was just thinking a lot about things, some of which he didn't want to tell me. I could respect that, after all there were things I didn't want everyone knowing either. It was just odd seeing it from Ryan, but I did judge too quickly before I actually got to know him. He did talk a lot about Selphie whenever we were together on the ship, but with so many new people to meet, it seemed he only regarded her as a friend.

I headed to my room to take a small break, and when I entered the first thing I locked my eyes on was the picture of my dad. I had completely forgotten about that picture, so when I saw it I was still in a bit of shock. When I looked at the mirror I was more shocked at how horrible I looked. Every time we come back from visiting a world, I'm always surprised at how I look after. When I brushed my hair I took one last look at the photo of my dad, and headed out.

I headed towards the center where everyone else was. They were able to get to the new world safely, and I looked over to Ryan. I wondered if he was going to come with us, but I also wondered where his head was too. He was always out of it when we were in Port Royal, and I know it was because he was thinking of a lot of things, but I wondered if there was something else? Or maybe I'm just thinking too much. I looked over to Sora, Donald and Goofy, and smiled. I don't know why, but I always think of myself from last year and how I always came to these three with a smile. They were my closest comrades, and I knew my back was safe with them around. I was a little unsure of how everything would end and if we would all have to separate. Well, at least from Donald and Goofy. I guess I better not think about it, or else I might choke up.

"Hey, ready to head to our next spot?" I heard Sora say as I came out of my thoughts. I gave him a quick smile and nodded, and then I looked at Ryan. He was looking out the window and at the stars around us, and seemed out of it. I dropped my shoulders and looked at him.

"Are you gonna come with us?" I asked. He looked my way, and got up. He gave a slight nod, and started walking towards the door. I looked at the other three boys, and they just shrugged their shoulders—I guess it was pretty obvious that Ryan was in some kind of slump.

**ଓ**

"Agrabah, we made it!" Donald shouted. It felt really nice to be here again, save for the desert and heat.

"Gawrsh, I wonder how Aladdin 'n' Jasmine are doin'?" Goofy asked. I wondered too. Last time we were here Jafar kidnapped Jasmine, but when we helped all of the princesses last year, she should have returned to her world.

"Hey, maybe Riku's with them!" Sora exclaimed. Goofy hoped the king was too, and I wondered about that as well. I haven't seen Riku in so long and I really missed him, he was the first friend I ever had, and it was a year since I last saw him. What was he doing? How was he holding up? Who was he with? So many questions yet he was nowhere to be found. I just really hope he's doing alright. I looked around and everything seemed pretty much the same, but it was still hot as heck and stepping on sand wasn't anything I was happy about. I don't think Ryan minded all the much, since he looked pretty relaxed being here. But since we just came out of Port Royal I think anyone would be happy to see a bright place like Agrabah instead of that creepy place. We continued to walk, and I looked around some more. I heard Goofy stopped though, and then he started to speak.

"Uh-oh, it's uh..um..," he stuttered. I raised my eyebrow and turned around to see a parrot. I had to squint because he looked familiar, but then goofy realized who it was. "It's Iago!"

Sora and Donald quickly got their weapons out, and I stood there confused. Who was this bird? As soon as the bird saw Sora and Goofy though, he quickly flew towards us panicking.

"Wait! You got me all wrong," he said. Donald wasn't listening, and just confirmed that the parrot was who Goofy was talking about. Iago argued that he had 'turned over a new feather' and was a completely new bird. He wasn't doing any scams, but Sora wasn't convinced. Donald tried having us leave, but I wanted to know who the bird was.

"Wait, just who is he?" I asked as I pointed at Iago. Donald looked over to Sora, who only looked over to me. He explained that Iago was the bird that was helping Jafar, and I was starting to realize who he was. I didn't know what the bird's name was, and I was passed out during my trip last year. The bird kept talking, and he told us that he was trapped in the lamp with Jafar, but had escaped. He landed nearby and looked pretty down, but Donald and Sora didn't care. Goofy noticed that he looked sad though.

"I wanna apologize to Aladdin and Jasmine," he said as he flew towards us. He landed on Goofy's hand, and I walked up beside him. "Do you think you can put in a good word for me?"

"Sure, we can do that, can't we?" Goofy asked as he looked at everyone.

"I don't see why not," I said. Donald and Sora didn't look convinced, and I sighed. I guess we weren't going to be agreeing with each other. As we continued to stare at Iago, I felt Ryan tugging at my hood, and I turned around. We were faced with heartless, and I heard Iago give off a warning. Sora, Donald and Goofy all took out their weapons, and I did the same. Sora immediately attacked a couple while Donald used his spells. Goofy and I dealt with the other half, and I was attacking some of the lesser ones. I watched as Ryan hid behind a barrel, and I was glad that he was safe. When I turned back I was slapped by one of the heartless, and I groaned in pain. Sora, Donald and Goofy came close to me, and we all stood by each other as more and more heartless appeared.

"Where are they all coming from?" Sora asked. I was shocked to see so many heartless, but my eyes averted to Iago when I heard him screaming. He knocked over a pot, which knocked over a box that was already near the ledge. They both hit a couple of heartless, and knocked them out. Sora quickly told everyone to follow him, and Ryan came running from his barrel and followed. We all ran to the nearest room, and stopped when we did. Ryan bent down to catch his breath and Iago came in view.

"Aw, we'd've been goners if Iago hadn't helped us," Goofy said. He looked over to Sora and Donald, who were the less trusting towards the bird, and thanked him. Iago was beyond happy, but then Sora told him he would have to win over Aladdin and Jasmine on his own. Iago was disappointed but didn't argue, and then Goofy asked where Aladdin was.

"I betcha he's at the palace," Iago said. With that, we made our way towards the palace. It was a short walk, but with the sand and heat, it was taking a while. Ryan had caught his breath, and he seemed pretty excited about going to some place exotic.

"So, you guys have been here last year?" he asked. Sora told him about the trip from last year, and about Jafar, Jasmine's kidnapping, and pretty much everything—even how I passed out. Ryan seemed a bit out of out after that last bit, and I wondered if maybe it bothered him, so I asked about it.

"Well, it's just," he started. "I can't believe you were in a coma for ten whole years."

It does seem hard to take, but it's the truth. I wanted to help Ansem repress the darkness, and I think he wanted to see if someone with a pure heart could do that. But now I think… Where is that pure heart? I don't feel anything pure about me... I mean I've been killing things left to right, and I wasn't confident about myself. Aren't people with pure hearts supposed to be confident? I know Kairi was pretty confident when I met her last year, and I don't think she was afraid of anything except for losing Riku and Sora. Maybe she doesn't like me all that well since apparently I was once in love with Sora, and I knew she liked him. She hid it well if she did, but maybe I'd feel the same way if I was in her shoes. Why am I talking about Sora and Kairi?

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" I heard a voice say from afar. I noticed I was walking behind a bit, and that Jasmine was ahead. I quickly walked up to them, and Jasmine gave me a smile as she greeted me. Ryan came walking in, and his jaw dropped when he saw her.

"My name is Ryan! But you can call me anything," he winked. She gave a hesitant smile, and we all sighed. He kissed her hand and bowed down, and for once he was getting the idea. We all bowed down as well, since Jasmine is a princess.

"I never had the chance to thank you for before," she said. "You helped Aladdin defeat that awful Jafar and saved Agrabah."

Sora took the compliment, and told her that we were actually here to help with the heartless. Jasmine and everyone else were doing pretty okay though, and Goofy laughed as he mentioned Aladdin being there for her. She lowered her eyes, and placed a hand on her heart.

**ଓ**

**Sora**

"He...hasn't been himself lately," she said. Donald asked if it was because of the heartless, and she wasn't sure. She told them he would be his usual cheerful self, but then she lowered her head. "But sometimes...he just seems sad."

Sora placed a finger on his chin, and he pretty much could relate to that. It was the same with Marie, and how she was cheerful at one point, but pretty distant the next. Not to mention how she couldn't remember anything they went together and it bothered him a lot. Although he knew she wanted to remember, he wanted to know _how _she forgot in the first place. Jasmine told them that Aladdin would leave the castle at night, and when she asked him about it he wouldn't say anything. She was worried he wouldn't come back, and he left not too long ago.

"Hey! Maybe he has a secret girlfriend!" Iago blurted out from behind Goofy. "I'll go find out who she is!"

Jasmine was immediately surprised about Iago's appearance, and tried to catch him. She ran inside to warn the guards and everyone else, and couldn't give Sora a chance to explain. Everyone sighed, and glared at the parrot.

"Nice move," Sora sarcastically said. Goofy asked if it was something he said, and Marie face-palmed. Of course it was something he said...

"Gee, maybe we should go talk to Aladdin," Goofy asked. He mentioned that he would know what's going on, and Sora agreed and wondered what Aladdin was even doing.

**ଓ**

**Marie**

Guys were horrible with what to say, and seeing as how Iago was a male parrot, he was no different. In any case, we walked out of the palace entrance, and stopped when we heard someone yell out thief. A small monkey came running past us, and we watched him go. Soon after, Aladdin popped up and ran past us while saying hi. A little man was the last person to past us, and yelled for Aladdin to stop. I raised my eyebrow, and already knew how Aladdin was doing. Without much thought to it, we ran in their direction.

When we made it, we saw the little man walking past us. Whatever he was fighting Aladdin for must have ended, since he looked pretty pleased. We heard a monkey squeal, and Abu came running after us. Aladdin got up from bending down, and walked towards us.

"Hey guys, sorry about earlier," he said as he stopped in front of us. "I was kinda in a hurry."

When asked what had happened, Aladdin told us that Abu stole a lamp, but that they returned it. Abu started sprouting out some grunts, but Aladdin scolded him. Everyone started laughing for old time's sake, and I smiled. Oh how I miss hanging out with the monkeys back at that jungle wor—wait, what am I saying!?

"I guess you can't be _that_ down in the dumps, huh?" Sora asked. Aladdin asked who had said that, and Goofy told him how Jasmine was worried about him since he was always in town. Donald even asked if he had a new girlfriend, and Aladdin quickly turned down that idea—meaning he didn't have another girl.

"Still… I guess there's no foolin' Jasmine, huh?" Aladdin admitted. He sighed, and told us how Genie and carpet left to see the world. He was glad his friend got to have his wish, but there was no doubt that Aladdin missed them both.

"Man, things must be _really_ quiet with Genie gone," Sora said. Aladdin told us that he comes to the town because of the action, and that we all met with him last year in the same place. It was definitely a place full of surprises. Goofy tugged Sora's arm as they turned around. I did the same, and noticed Iago on the floor looking terrified. Completely ignoring the bird for a moment, Sora told Aladdin how he wanted to apologize for all the trouble he caused. Goofy even said he was so sorry that he was shaking, but…

"Th-th-that lamp!" Iago shouted. Aladdin asked him what was wrong, and Iago told him it was the lamp that he was stuck in for months. It seemed Abu was trying to say the same thing. I placed a finger on my chin, and looked at everyone else.

"We should talk to that guy if that's the case," I said. Aladdin agreed with me, and we started walking toward the man's shop.

**ଓ**

**Sora and Aladdin**

Aladdin took the time to talk to Sora on a man-to-man basis, and asked how he and Marie were fairing. Sora blushed, and looked away to briefly look at Marie, who was picking her nails. Ryan was standing next to her and seemed to be talking while she listened. He turned back and looked at Aladdin, who seemed pretty eager to know.

"W-we're good," he said. Aladdin knew it was a lie though, and demanded to know the real truth. Sora sighed, and dropped his shoulders. "Well, she doesn't remember anything happening between us from last year."

"Really!?" Aladdin exclaimed, making Sora flail his arms around asking him to be quiet. Aladdin was shocked to hear it, and even told him how he and Aladdin got closer because of what happened last year—not grow far apart.

"No, she says it's a big blur. But she told me she wants to remember, because it's bugging her a lot," he told the thief. Aladdin placed a finger on his chin, and thought about the situation. He snapped his fingers once he thought of something.

"Remember last year how you carried her on carpet? Why don't you do something like that again?" Aladdin suggested. Sora blushed at the thought; since it took him a great deal too even pull that off. Aladdin smirked. "Hey, it might help."

**ଓ**

**Aura**

She caught her breath once she made it back to Twilight Town, and looked around. She was scouting out the worlds again to make sure nothing happened, and she almost came close to being caught by Organization XIII. Riku appeared from the corner, and welcomed her back. She nodded, and asked him if there was anything new going on.

"Nothing as far as I can tell," he said. He looked at the brunette girl, and noticed she was out of breath more than usual, and wondered what was up. "Is anything wrong?"

"Just more tired than usual, I guess," she said. She stood straight and looked around. She sighed, and recalled the day she spent with Axel. Maybe fighting all the time and missing the people she loved was having an effect on her, or maybe she was just tired of all the drama between good and bad. She looked at Riku, who was still in his black coat. She knew he would never take it off, and she didn't want him too. His appearance right now would only remind her of the hurt she endured while being with people she once called allies, and she was done with the hurting. She looked up, and took a deep breath. "Do you think Marie will remember her love for Sora?"

"Why do you ask?" he questioned. Although he knew she thought this constantly, he always wondered what her response would be. She sighed again, and walked towards a wall.

"I can constantly feel the pain she goes through of not having to remember everything," Aura said. She placed her hands behind her back, and looked up towards the sky again. "I'm always reminded of what I did, and I want it to stop. I want her to remember already."

"You could always just talk to her," Riku said, slightly joking. The brunette girl scoffed, and didn't even want to go there. In honesty, she was a bit scared to come face-to-face with Marie. One of the reasons was because she feared becoming whole with her. She had a lot to do, and although she liked the idea of becoming whole, she didn't want to lose what 'Aura' meant. Her personality, her ideals, her visions… it was something she made for herself.

* * *

><p>Aw, poor Aura. I get why she doesn't want to be whole, but it must be done. That <em>is<em> the fate of the nobodies, right?

Sorry for the late update _yet again _but now I have time on my hands. Updates will still be slow because I am also working on SAH and The Misfits, which you can actually read here.[You should read it if you wanna see an original work of mine, huhuhuhu…] www**.**fictionpress**.**com/s/3130412/1/The-Misfits

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Haha, yeah she is happy, too! And don't worry you'll see a bit more of them together.

**Lvl-ZeR0:  
><strong>Unfortunately it's not three chapters, but I am working on the next so expect it to be out by the end of the week. Evil Marie will die an epic death, but will definitely give Marie some insight about herself as a person, so I'm looking forward to that!

**SisterOfScarletDevil:  
><strong>Sorry for the slow update, but I haven't forgotten about this story! I just have other stories that I would like to put my attention to, and I've also got some drawings I need to post. :3

**Dracula X:  
><strong>Glad to be back! You'd be surprised with the amount of attacks going to her head. One of them might be the key to her memories.

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>Aw, thank you for the kind words! I'm glad you're having a great year and I'm doing quite fine over here! :D you are absolutely right, it is a security blanket for her, but it's not gonna help much in her memory recovering. Aw, I know, but I'm going to make that scene as epic as I can make it for our little Demmy-poo. I LURVE Johnny Depp! I watched people play Slender: The arrival, and it's pretty creepy lol, I know I won't be playing it.

**Dracula-Key:  
><strong>Haha, yess the epic island of dead people. She is trying hard, but it's still hard when you got Sora still being lovey dovey to her. Captain Jack Sparrow is just awesome!

**Trubeque:  
><strong>I'm glad you didn't, but I'm also sorry about the late update. I will admit that the updates will still be late, but it's not forgotten. I just have other stories I need to have my attention at. :D I hope you understand.

**DaniPotterLovesGod:  
><strong>Thank you for the site! It's helped a lot with trying to overcome my block, and now I'm writing/drawing/making up plots and a lot of others things. I hope to stay active about this now that I got my "mojo" back, haha.


	35. This void called blue

**Marie's Casual wear:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**Ryan:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**A\N:**  
>I actually like the Cave of Wonders because of all the water and swimming and stuff. At least I think they swim here. Oh, and the scene in the cave where you have to fight the monsters while falling down has changed. Too lazy to write about falling and killing monsters lol.<p>

And holy damn! 300+ reviews! You guys are awesome!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Five<br>****ଓ  
><strong>**This void called blue**

We eventually made our way towards the peddler's shop. Sora asked if there was any way we could buy the lamp off of him, and he smiled and told us we could… _if_ we could afford it. Luckily, Aladdin told us that the peddler liked to do that sort of thing, so we created a plan to try and persuade him to lower the price.

"No worries!" Sora said. Donald told the peddler we'd pay him in royal treasure, but quickly finished his sentence when Sora scolded him. I'm a little worried now that the peddler raised his eyebrows in interest.

"Might I interest you in another fine lamp?" the peddler asked, turning his back to us. Ryan came in saying the lamp we wanted was the only lamp we needed, and the peddler hummed when he said he could be persuaded. "…_If _you bring me a treasure beyond even my imagination. Something, say, fit for a sultan..."

I gave Sora a concerned look, and he seemed to agree with me. Treasure fit for a sultan would basically mean taking treasure from the palace. We quickly said our farewells, and made it back to Aladdin, who stood outside since he wasn't allowed to enter after having stolen the lamp before. Donald asked if they could take treasure from the palace, but Aladdin knew it wasn't right and he didn't want to worry Jasmine or her father.

"Hey, I know!" Iago said as he came flying in. "What about the treasure in the Cave of Wonders?"

Aladdin thought about it, and told Iago that if they get the treasure he would believe his apology. The parrot seemed really happy to hear the news, and started leading the way as we followed close behind.

**ଓ**

"This is it!" Iago exclaimed when we made it to the Cave of Wonders. I gotta say, walking all that sand really does a number on the legs, and mine feel like jelly. The cave still looked the same as before, and if Jafar were here it would feel pretty much the same. When I continue to look at the entrance, I feel almost weird that it's basically a giant mouth. Maybe because I was younger and full of adventure, but I never really notice the eerie feeling from it.

Once we entered the place, it was huge—exactly like last year. There were a few heartless around, and we got rid of them no problem. We made it into the next area, where there were barriers up as walls and at the end of the hallway stood a giant, golden statue. In the middle of the hallway was a jewel, and when we reached the statue it looked like something would fit in the pedestal hole. Abu went to quickly grab the jewel without much thought it seemed, and the barriers disappeared. Statues appeared on the walls, and the puddles on the floor suddenly created giant waves. Since Abu was so little, Aladdin quickly grabbed him and we tried making it through the waves.

One of them hit Donald, who almost got pushed behind. Luckily Ryan was able to grab him, and managed to jump the oncoming wave. I also got hit by a wave, but it was much easier for me to block since I wasn't as small as Donald, or as light as him. Heck, I'm probably the heaviest after Aladdin and Sora. With a couple of other waves being blocked, we eventually made our way to the statue and Abu placed the jewel in the hole. A light appeared and soothed the statues, and then the giant, golden one started glowing. It disappeared, and behind it a passage appeared. We entered through the passage, and found ourselves on top of an elevator of sorts. It went down, and kept going down until we reached the bottom. A pair of stairs and a door beyond them was in front of us, so we started walking.

We passed the door, and almost immediately entered the mother lode. The room was filled with treasures and gold, and it was definitely a sight to behold. The gold glistened, and we all looked around for any type of treasure that would outshine the lamp the peddler had. Ryan tried making a gold angel from the piles, and I started laughing.

"This is amazing! It's like in those stories where adventurers find big piles of gold," he said as he got up. He didn't take any of the gold with him, which was good and only seemed to admire it all. He kept looking around, until his eyes widened. "Whoa, guys… look at that!"

He pointed at a statue in the middle with colorful jewels attached to it. We all gasped in amazement, and the sheer presence of it was definitely something that outshined the lamp. Aladdin walked up towards it, and kept staring at it when he spoke. "That one should do it."

Donald quickly ran up to it, and was pleased to know that the man would simply love the statue. It definitely looked valuable, and Aladdin was really glad. He really didn't want that lamp going in the wrong hands. "We gotta keep Jafar bottled up, or he's gonna destroy Agrabah!"

He looked around, and told Donald to snap out of it. When I turned around I saw him staring at a small statue on the floor. He shook his head, and then suddenly the room darkened. I felt a shiver go up my spine, and everyone took out their weapons when heartless started appearing. Donald sighed, mumbling about this type of situation always happening to us. I didn't know either, but I wasn't going to stand by and twiddle my thumbs together! Ryan quickly went to hide near a pile of gold, and I took out my keyblade. Sora and Aladdin dealt with the heartless at the far end while Donald, Goofy and I dealt with the ones in the light.

I took a swift swing from my blade, and attacked the lantern looking heartless. I used some of my black magic on them too, and they were going away. I pulled the trigger of the keyblade, and the stars from the blade sprung out to attack the rest of the flying heartless. It was pretty cool that my keyblade had a few tricks to it, but it was me who wasn't much of a fighter. I felt a huge hit to my back, and fell as a result. I healed myself of the pain, and got up from the floor. I used my magic to get rid of the rest, and with Donald's help we got rid of the half while Goofy took care of everything else. Sora and Aladdin had also finished fighting off the heartless in the corners. When they returned, we decided to leave quickly.

**ଓ**

"Hello?" Aladdin called out when we returned to the peddler's shop. We stopped and looked around, until we heard voices outside.

"Stop your whining and hand it over!"

"Ohh no! I'm trading it for treasure," the peddler said to the voice, who sounded very familiar. "This lamp is going to bring me riches!"

We quickly left the shop, and saw the little man running away from a very angry Pete. I guess that's where the voice came from. They headed into the next area and we ran after them. We tried catching up, and saw they were heading towards the palace. I'm hoping they don't kidnap Jasmine again, cause that would mean all of the princesses would be kidnapped, and we can't let that happen again.

"Lamp hog!" we heard Pete shout when we entered the palace entrance. He was chasing the little peddler man and wouldn't let up. He eventually got the lamp, and held the man away with a simple finger. Iago flew in, and stole the lamp off from Pete. We all encouraged him to keep going, and the parrot made them bump into the wall. We all cheered, until Iago bumped into the wall himself…

"Nice try, bird brain," Pete said as he grabbed the lamp from the floor. We were all prepared to attack him, but then the floor shook. We all looked around, and tried figuring out where it was coming from. It couldn't be heartless, since it seemed Pete controlled them. My only thought was those nobodies, but I haven't seen any of them in a long while.

"I'm **HOME!**" we heard a _very_ familiar voice said. No one with that kind of enthusiasm would belong to anyone _but _the one and only Genie. "Al! It's been eons!"

The only problem was that he went to hug Pete instead of the actual Aladdin. He started talking about his travels and how it got lonely, and then moved on to Pete's weight—still thinking Pete was Aladdin. Of course, not taking the time to look around he started saying how it must be nice living in the palace with Jasmine and then firecrackers started popping out. It was only after a long moment that Genie finally realized that he was hugging the wrong person. He dropped Pete on the floor a little too roughly, and the big guy got mad.

"I'll show you for making a fool out of me!" he shouted. Genie went to hug the actual Aladdin, but we all turned around when Pete got up. "Time for plan B! I'm finishin' you mugs off right now!"

Without a moment passing, he slammed the floor and out appeared two heartless. One of these guys was covered in flames while the other in ice, and they were big guys. I saw Pete run away, and I was surprised he didn't come up to snatch me or anything. Must be too angry that Genie basically threw him around like a ragdoll, and it must have hurt his pride or something. Well, towards the battlefield… Sora took out his keyblade along with everyone else. I took out mine, but I wasn't really sure who to attack first. Everyone seemed to be attacking the ice heartless, and I wanted this battle to go as quickly as possible. I guess I'll go attack the fire one.

I chanted my blizzard spell towards it, and it started to charge at me. Luckily, I blocked it, and pointed my blade to fire another spell. It managed to miss that one, and it came rushing at me again. This time, though, it started bouncing off the floor and left patches of fire in its path. I raised my hand, and a shield popped out in front of me. I was still trying to get these powers of mine down, but I was glad to know they were working _with_ me instead of _against_ me. I kept chanting blizzard spells at its way, and I was doing well for the most part. I looked over to Sora and the others, who were fighting so effortlessly. I looked at the heartless in front of me, and continued my attacks. I got up close to it so that I could attack it, but I was doing more dodging than attacking. I chanted a few spells, and noticed Ryan hiding behind one of the barrels. I was glad, and continued attacking the fire heartless. After a few slashes, the icy heartless froze both Donald and Goofy, and they were struggling to get out of their ice cages.

"Donald! Goofy!" Sora shouted as he tried getting to the two. I ran up to them while he kept the two heartless busy, and I looked at the ice—how was I going to help? I looked around, thinking of something, but nothing came up, and I mentally swore to myself. As soon as I touched the ice incasing Donald, a bright light appeared, and my forehead started burning up. The light moved onto Goofy, and in a flash they were released from their cases. I raised my hands and they looked at me.

"What just happened?" I asked, not even sure what happened. I didn't faint or pass out like I usually did whenever my forehead burned—maybe I was getting better at withstanding the burn? Whatever the case, Donald and Goofy were released and they thanked me. I turned around and Sora quickly changed into one of his forms using Donald, and Goofy helped him fight the icy heartless again. I gripped my keyblade, and made my way towards the fire heartless again and chanted my blizzard spells. Aladdin and Sora attacked the icy heartless together, and the heart from it disappeared towards the sky. They looked over to the fire one, and Sora ran up beside me.

"How you holding up?" he asked. He seemed to be a bit out of breath, so I decided to heal him of his fatigue with my healing spells and he thanked me. I was doing well in terms of heath, but unfortunately I don't think I did so much as lay a scratch on the heartless. Sora chuckled, and looked my way. "Don't think like that—you're doing great!"

He started fighting the heartless, and I smiled at his words of encouragement. The more I look at this boy, the more I wonder how it must have felt to be in love with him. It's like I try to let myself fall in love, but my guard or something isn't letting up—it's like I feel so incomplete for some reason. I shook my head, and looked at the fight before me. I pointed my keyblade at the heartless and chanted round after round of my blizzard spells, and with Donald out of Sora's form his help was great. Sora, Goofy and Aladdin dealt a couple of more attacks, and the n after a while the fire heartless fell.

Pete came back into the scene, and Ryan also ran up to us. The big guy growled out of annoyance, and he pointed at us as he spoke, "You! You've messed with me for the last time! I'm gonna get you yet!"

He ran away for good this time, and Genie flew up to Aladdin to give him a really big and tight looking hug. I smiled when carpet appeared and was glad that they were all reunited. Iago flew around with the lamp, and Abu jumped on carpet.

**ଓ**

"I promise—you won't regret givin' me another chance. Honest!" Iago said as he looked at Princess Jasmine. Genie seemed a bit weary, and even asked her if she was alright with Iago being near her. She said she was sure that the parrot meant well, and Genie seemed to understand. Jasmine asked Sora what would happen next, and we were all glad to see them all, but…

"We still need to find Riku and the King," Sora said as he looked at Jasmine and Genie. "I guess we'll be moving on."

Donald asked where Aladdin was, and Genie told us that he was out finding Abu in town. We all waited for him to be back, and when we heard Aladdin shout Abu's name, we turned around. The little monkey had a red gem in his hands and was running away from Aladdin. Sora, Donald and Goofy all took a stance and jumped on the poor monkey.

"Boys…," I heard Jasmine say. I giggled at her comment, and watched as they basically piled on top of Abu. Aladdin explained how he must have stolen the gem from the Cave of Wonders, and Donald snatched it from him. He threw it over the walls, stating that no one needed it, and we tried watching where it went. Abu started screeching, and we turned to Donald, who _still_ had the gem in his hands. I guess Donald and Abu have a lot in common…

"Oh… I guess it got stuck!" Donald said, trying to cover up his dangerous habit of trying to sneak jewels and gems past everyone. It started to glow, and a bright light appeared from it. Sora's keyblade started lighting up, and we knew where it was going. Ryan looked really interested every time Sora used his keyblade, and I wondered if maybe he liked the weapon. As the keyhole appeared, Sora used his powers to unlock it, and a new path was now open to us.

"I think it's time for us to go," Sora said as he turned to Aladdin. Jasmine looked at Aladdin, and then back at us. She asked if we would be back, and Sora promised we would. Aladdin gave a thumb up, and I looked up towards the sky. How long until we all have to be apart permanently? I wasn't looking forward to it at all…

**ଓ**

**Meanwhile…**

Pluto, the king's most trusted friend and canine, walked around a place he was never meant to be: The World That Never Was. He walked around, frightened at what would appear. However, he saw someone with fiery red hair, and quickly tried to follow. He saw him pass through a portal and tried to quickly follow—but the portal closed before he could. A whistle was heard, and from far away another portal was open, but the person behind it could not be seen. Pluto took his chances though, and quickly followed through the portal.

Kairi stood by the beach, and stared at the island where she, Sora and Riku would always be. She lowered her head, and wondered if waiting for them was good enough. A voice was heard, and she quickly looked around.

"Why wait around? Act," he said. She continued to look around, but saw no one. The voice continued to speak, "One of life's little rules. Got it memorized?"

He appeared a few distances in front of her, and she warily asked who he was. He smirked. "Axel. I happen to be an acquaintance of Sora's. Why don't we go see him?"

Kairi repeated Sora's name, and thought about it. She really wanted to see him, and she really wanted to give him a hug and tell him how much she missed him. Pluto appeared, and started barking at the redheaded teenager. Nobodies started appearing around them, and Pluto growled. Yet again, the whistle was heard, and Pluto happily ran after the portal that appeared. Pluto barked for her to follow, and Axel smirked again.

"We've got something in common, Kairi," Axel said as he looked at her. "You and I both miss someone we care about. Hey… I feel like we're friends already."

She ran after Pluto, who had already gone through the portal. She quickly turned around, and glared at the fiery pyro. "You're not _acting_ very friendly."

Past the portal, she and Pluto looked around. It was nothing but a void place with a blue surrounding. She wondered what the place was, but then the whistle was heard again. A light sparkled at the end of the path, and Pluto ran after it. She did the same, but right before entering, she turned around and gasped as she saw someone in a hooded coat.

She immediately blacked out right after.

* * *

><p>Well, now we're entering the entrance to Kairi, and it gets a whoooooole lot difficult for the pending relationship between Sora and Marie. Who knows, maybe Sora might develop a liking to Kairi? What would Marie say about it? What would Aura say about it?<p>

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>For Game Over? I'm trying to change it so that I don't have to use all of them, since I have a lot already, and so that I can add more details and have it come out the way I vision it. Here's your update!

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>I wonder too? Maybe he's growing up? ;) And well, with Kairi entering, who knows what could happen now? I hope he doesn't do anything he'll regret. Which new movie? I don't think I've seen it. I know of fast and furious 6, and that it's a really great movie. Aw, thanks! I'm going to add more detail and take away a lot of the dialogue, because that's basically it: just dialogue. And change the idea a bit, but it'll still be great. :D Ahaha, thanks!


	36. Halloween and Christmas

**Marie's Casual wear:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**Ryan:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**Marie's Halloween Town Outfit:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Overhaul-Marie-s-Christmas-Town-costume-37 6281638?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=0

**Marie's Christmas Town Outfit:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Overhaul-Marie-s-Christmas-Town-costume-37 6281638?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=0

**A\N:**  
>Oh no, here we go… Halloween Town. That awkward moment where Sora is dancing with Donald and Goofy and he thinks of Kairi…<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Six<br>****ଓ****  
><strong>**Halloween and Christmas**

"You awake?"

Kairi quietly got up from her slumber, and looked around. She was met with three teenagers, who had told her that she and Pluto flew out of a hole in the wall. She rubbed her head, and Pluto sat there calmly beside her. She had a lot of explain.

**ଓ**

**Marie**

We were back on the ship, and in front of the world that I knew had a lot of stairs: Halloween Town. I was looking forward to it _only _because of the costume that came with it, but if I have to climb up a bunch of stairs I might just yell and hit someone with my keyblade. Ryan told us he wasn't coming along, because he really didn't like Halloween or dressing up, and that he was a bit tired from Agrabah. He also wanted to stay behind and upgrade the ship with Chip and Dale.

I looked at the world, and took a deep breath. I wondered how Sally was doing since last year, and I wondered how Jack was doing as well. We couldn't really land the ship for some reason, so we used the teleporter to get to Halloween Town.

**ଓ**

When we teleported, our outfits changed. Donald was in his mummy costume and Goofy sported his Frankenstein outfit. I looked over to Sora, who was wearing his vampire, look at me. I raised my eyebrow and asked him what was wrong. He pointed and told me my outfit changed a bit. I looked down, and noticed the outfit changed _just_ a bit. It was way more form-fitting than last year, and had a few less belts than the other one. I had no problem with it, but since it was form-fitting I noticed it made my chest look _way_ smaller than it really was…it was basically a wall. I sighed, and lifted my elbow a bit before it hit the wings on my back. Being dressed up as a fallen angel was a bit weird, but the wings were pretty cool—except they were both wrapped up as opposed to only one of them being wrapped up. I guess I won't be flying anytime soon.

I heard Goofy scream from the top of his lungs, and I jumped from the noise. A small, ghost dog floated around us, and I knew it was Zero. Sora asked how he was, but the dog floated around and left towards the town. I placed my finger on my chin and noticed that we were in the graveyard since; well… there were a lot of graves around. We started walking towards the town, and Goofy made sure we were as close to us as possible, and I laughed to myself. It was fun to see Goofy be this scared. When we reached the town, we noticed a lot of lights being hung around it. We looked around, until Donald pointed out towards Jack, who was flying in the sky in a sleigh with skeleton reindeers. He landed near, and greeted all of us.

"Welcome back," he said. He raised his hands, and for dramatic effect, waved them around, "And Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas?" Sora asked as he tilted his head in confusion. "Don't you mean 'Happy Halloween'?"

"Of course. Halloween greetings from Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King," he replied. He spun around, and told us how he was in such a merry mood. He was holding the show again this year, but needed… 'Sandy Claw's' blessing. He was going to go to Christmas Town. Sora, Donald and Goofy were a bit confused about the name, but it wasn't hard to know who he was referring to. Jack jumped up on the fountain, and smiled as he spoke. "Aren't these decorations wonderful? This year Halloween Town is going to handle Christmas, too!"

He told us we needed to see Sally, who was working on something for the show. He quickly started walking ahead, and Sora wondered about a Halloween Christmas town. They looked around, and with the guillotine, scary reindeer, and possessed toys… it seemed rather hard to imagine. Donald and Goofy got scared all of a sudden, but Sora was pumped to see it through. They sighed, and I knew they weren't all that excited to see it…

We made our way towards the doctor's house, and Jack asked him where Sally was. He was still the same old doctor, and told Jack that he was in the middle of an experiment. We all watched as he made his way towards the table, and those three little kids from last year dragged a piece of metal with them as they followed him. Lock, the boy dressed in that devil outfit, said it was too heavy to carry it any longer, and Shock opted to throw it. Finkelstein told them they'd be sorry if they did and demanded them to bring it. They ended up throwing it, and the metal started sparking, and it created a mini explosion. Lock, Shock and Barrel started giggling, and they ran out of the room. And here I was thinking that maybe they changed…We saw Sally walk in, and I smiled as she did. She smiled at all of us, and Jack asked her if she was done with what she was working on.

"I'm sorry, Jack but…," she said as she stopped for a bit. "I just need a little more time."

Jack looked disappointed, but he told her it was alright. He just wanted it ready for Christmas, but then Sally tried speaking. Unfortunately, he interrupted her and told us he was off to see Santa Claus. I raised my eyebrow at this… is he actually talking about _the_ Santa Claus?

"Please, Sora," we heard Sally say. "I'm afraid something terrible will happen if Jack goes through with this."

"You can say that again!" I heard Donald add. I walked up a bit, and when Goofy called out Sora's name, I looked at him. He looked _way_ out of it, and I wondered what the heck he was thinking. Right when I was about to tug at his sleeve, Jack came in, and asked if those strange-looking guys were with us, and I raised my eyebrow. Sora snapped out of it, and asked about it.

"What were they called…? Oh, right, the heartless!" Jack said. I wasn't surprised. Those things pop out anywhere where they can get a heart. Sora told him that they weren't with us, and that we'd get rid of them.

"We'll get rid of them, and then…," he stopped for a moment. "We'll go see Santa!"

Donald, Goofy and I looked at him, and he turned to us. Donald wasn't really pleased, and Goofy just stood there as he smiled. I didn't really… well… I'm not really sure what to think of Santa, but if Sora wanted to see him that was fine. He laughed nervously, and scratched the back of his head as he spoke, "But first, the heartless!"

**ଓ**

Of all the heartless that we've faced I've always considered the ones at Halloween Town to be the creepiest. When we reached outside, there was a bunch of mummy looking heartless with stretched out limbs. I shivered a bit, since the thought of stretched out limbs was a bit… morbid. Nonetheless, we stopped when we saw the mayor.

"Now hear this, you… you things!" he said as he held up his speakerphone, "Leave Halloween Town at once! By order of the mayor!"

When none of the heartless paid attention, he called out for Jack. He looked at all of us, and seemed completely relieved when he did. We took out our weapons, and started fighting the heartless around. I attacked a couple that was nearby, while Sora and Jack attacked the ones farther away. Donald helped me with his spells, and Goofy took out some that were in between Sora and I. I pulled the trigger on my keyblade, and the stars around it flew and attacked the heartless nearby. Since they weren't anything major, the heartless were easy to get rid of, and Sora and Jack walked back to us.

"How is Sandy Claws supposed to relax with all of this going on?" Jack asked as he turned to us. He thought for a moment, and then looked at us. "Sandy Claws needs bodyguards. Are you up to the task—"

"Yeah!" Sora immediate responded. Donald tapped his foot when he looked at him, but Sora didn't look his way. I have no clue why Sora was so hyped around the idea of Santa Claus. I mean, we're fifteen… aren't we too old for that kind of stuff? Sora looked my way, and he had a big, bright smile on his face. I gave him a smile in return, but it wasn't as big as his. He seemed so innocent and completely child-like, and it was something that I couldn't understand. The way we both grew up… we seem completely different, and yet I fell in love with him. I lowered my head and wondered if I could fall in love with him without those memories, but I shook my head. Now wasn't the time to be thinking like this.

"Christmas Town is this way!" Jack said as he pointed towards the graveyard. "The town is behind a door in the forest just past the graveyard."

Jack started leading the way, and we followed him as we made our way towards Christmas Town. I was a bit curious to see this town, since I do remember the time Hollow Bastion snowed. It didn't last very long, but it was really beautiful. All those lights, the snow… people walking around drinking hot chocolate and wearing coats, hats and scarfs. The children playing in the snow while making snow angels, throwing snowballs, and making snowmen. I really only remember touching the snow when it happened, and Ansem gave me an explanation about how snow was created.

Christmas was never really a part of my life, since I really only experienced it about three times. I don't mind though, since I don't miss it—and I can barely remember the times I did experience it. When I look at Sora though, I think about how he enjoyed it with Riku and Kairi and their families. It hurts a little, but I can't say I would change anything that happened so that I _could_ experience a Christmas with my family. All that matters now is that I survive, so that I can enjoy the ones that come. I looked on as the rest started walking, and I walked along with them.

**ଓ**

"Here it is! The door to Christmas Town," Jack said as he pointed to a tree with a door shaped like a Christmas tree. He explained how it got boring doing the same thing over and over again with Halloween, and wanted something new. I watched as Sora took a closer look, and I stared at it, too. It looked pretty simple.

"Beyond this door is a world filled with wonders…the likes of which you've never seen," Jack continued. Sora was practically on his toes, and I looked over to Donald and Goofy who seemed to think what I was thinking. And that was that Sora was going crazy with this Santa thing.

"C'mon! Just open it!" he impatiently said. Jack nodded, and opened the door. Sora ran faster than the speed of light and immediately jumped in. Donald and Goofy followed close behind, but when I arrived we all looked at the complete blackness of the thing… I wasn't so sure about jumping. Donald shrugged and jumped in, and then Goofy followed close behind. I swear these guys can be pretty insane at times…jumping into a black hole. I sighed and decided to follow, and when I jumped the surrounding area suddenly turned blue, and I saw snowflakes popping out at us. We kept falling a bit more, and I eventually closed my eyes because I was a bit scared to be honest...

Suddenly I heard thumping noises, and I heard Sora grunt. Donald came quaking in after, and then Goofy did a little yelp and landed on top of them. I shouted for the most part, and unfortunately landed on top of all of them. I groaned as my face hit Goofy's back, and I think everyone was pretty much in pain. It took a while, but I eventually got up from the pile, and after I did I noticed Sora pulling the other two off. I dusted off the dirt I got from Halloween Town, and when I looked down I noticed I was completely changed.

"Wow, Marie! You're so red and green!" I heard Sora say. I was wearing an outfit that basically just consisted of red and green, and my headband had bells on it. I looked over to Donald and Goofy-they were changed, too! Even Sora!

"We're all changed," I said as I looked at them. Sora was wearing a black Santa outfit, while Donald was a snowman and Goofy was a reindeer. I looked down at my outfit once more—who was I dressed up as?

"Aw, cool! I'm wearing a Santa outfit!" Sora exclaimed. Donald and Goofy looked over to me, and Goofy gave a small chuckle.

"And you're dressed as Santa's little helper!" he said. Is that what I'm dressed as? When we all stopped looking at our outfits, Sora pointed out to the town down below, and the three of them looked at it in awe. Jack came out of the tree last, and Donald asked where Santa was.

"In his workshop," he said. He walked a little forward, and then stuck out his hand to gesture us to follow. Sora and Donald started following along, but Goofy seemed a bit hesitant.

"Something wrong, Goofy?" I asked. He looked at me, and scratched his head.

"Gawrsh, I don't know," he said. He looked around, and then gave a small sigh. "Something doesn't feel right."

He started walking ahead to catch up to the others, and I crossed my arms as I watched. I wasn't feeling anything wrong with this place, but I didn't exactly feel comfortable. Of course, that was because of the whole Christmas thing. I wonder how Santa is in person. I wonder if he knows I've been asleep for most of my childhood. Hey, he might even know something on my parents. I doubt it, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. When I took a step forward, I stopped again and smiled a bit—I remember being with Ansem when we saw the snow. I started walking again, and the crunchy noise my shoes made when it came into contact with the snow made me smile even more. I breathed out a sigh and I saw the air, and it was really pleasant. I don't know why, but I'm always being reminded of Hollow Bastion and the memories I had there. Even if it was for a year, there was a lot I did in that time. I shook my head and started speed walking towards the rest.

**ଓ**

We eventually made it towards the workshop, and I stared in awe as the lights hung on the buildings, and the snow piled on the roofs. I jogged towards the carousal in the middle, and touched the horse that was attached to it. I looked around, and I was really in awe. Even though I felt odd about Christmas, the scenery was simply breathtaking, and it was something I could appreciate. As soon as I was about to go around a heartless appeared in front of me. Sora called out my name as I blocked the attack in time, and I waved my keyblade to show him I was alright. They ran towards me and took out their weapons. More heartless started appearing, we wondered why they made it this far.

"En garde, loyal bodyguards!" Jack shouted as we prepared to fight them. I chanted my fire spell at one of them, and attacked it right after. It didn't seem like the hard ones, so I was fairly good at fighting it. I chanted another spell, and with a few more attacks it was gone. I ran towards another one and did the same, but it was a bit more aggressive. I used my keyblade and pointed at the heartless while I fired rounds of magic spells. It went down, and I helped Sora fight off the other ones.

"Christmas is in big trouble!" Donald said as we finished the last heartless. Goofy told us that we couldn't let anything bad happen to it, and Jack pointed to a big, red building. It was just past the carousal, and we started walking towards it.

**ଓ**

**Sora**

"I can't wait to see Santa," Sora said as he looked towards Marie. She gave a slight smile, and held her hands as they continued to walk.

"I'm sure it'll be interesting," she replied. He raised his eyebrow in confusion, and wondered what was wrong. He noticed she had been more quiet than usual, and was a bit concerned about it. Was she tired? Or did she just not have anything to say? He placed his hands behind his head as they walked, but couldn't really get it out of his mind. He figured she would be incredibly happy to see Santa Claus—who wouldn't? They entered the shop, and Sora smiled brightly as he ran towards the back. When everyone saw Santa, they all—minus Marie—gasped and awed at the jolly man himself.

"Well, hello everyone," he said as he looked up from his list. "Did you come to see if you're on my "nice" list?"

Everyone walked up to him, and Santa asked for Sora's name. He gave another big smile, and stuttered a bit as he replied. "Um…S-Sora, sir!"

Santa looked at his list, and found his name. "Well, according to my list, Sora… seven years ago you told everyone you did not believe in Santa Claus. Oh, that is unfortunate."

Sora grabbed his head as he looked completely shocked, and was surprised Santa remembered that. He was only a kid back then, so what did he know? He whined as he still thought about it, and Marie watched as he did. She gave a small chuckle, and was a bit shocked that Sora said such a thing. Donald asked Santa about him and Goofy, and the good old man nodded in reply. Donald jumped for joy, and Goofy smiled. He looked over to Marie, who seemed a bit timid or distant. He walked up a bit, and looked at Santa.

"What about Marie?" he asked.

**ଓ**

**Marie**

I looked at Goofy as he asked that question, and was taken back a bit. I certainly didn't expect him to ask on my behalf, but I probably wouldn't have asked either way. I watched as Santa looked through his list, and he started from top to bottom. He took another glance, and another, and scratched his head as he shook his head. I lowered my eyes a bit; I couldn't have been a bad person, could I?

"She can't be on your bad list, can she?" Donald asked. I looked up, and Santa started thinking for a moment. He'd have to check that list, but it was in his office. Jack came in and asked if he was on the nice list, and Santa's eyes grew wide.

"Jack Skellington!?" he exclaimed. A noise of something breaking was heard, and Santa got up. He looked towards Jack, and narrowed his eyes a bit. "What kind of trouble did you bring this time?"

"This time?" Sora asked as he looked at Jack. He shrugged his shoulders, and told us it was a long story. I sighed, and was a bit concerned about something happening, so I followed Santa to where he went. The others followed along, and we watched as Santa looked around. I wonder what happened.

With a few more moments, we all heard a small voice, and Santa immediately called out who was there. We all heard children speaking, and I lowered my eyes as I knew who it was. One of them cracked open the window, and Lock, Shock and Barrel all jumped through it. Santa sounded a bit angry as he repeated their names, but Jack assured him they weren't with us.

"Well whatever the case, they've been quite naughty," he said as he pointed his finger. "Catch them and bring them back here. They're going to get a lecture."

Jack asked him about his Christmas list, but Santa brushed him off and told him he had to check on his workshop. Jack looked a bit sad, but Sora told him they needed to catch the three kids. He ran with Donald and Goofy, but Jack still seemed a bit down. I walked up to him, and tried to reassure him.

"I still think you're nice, Jack. No matter if you're on the nice or naughty list," I said. I don't think they were that convincing, but Jack smiled and thanked me for the words. I watched as he ran after Sora and the others, and I looked around.

I hope I'm not on the naughty list.

* * *

><p>Do you think Marie's on the naughty list? XD<p>

**Lvl-ZeR0:  
><strong>Lol, well they are just characters, so it's not bad.

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Here's the next update! Back to the world Marie hates most, haha.

**Dracula X:  
><strong>LOL, probably. But Marie will most likely just be too polite to want to fight Kairi. But there's definitely some tension there now.

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>LOL, I know, right!? I wonder how things will go? O: You're absolutely right! It'll definitely trigger something, but it won't completely make her remember. Yea ._. I hope he doesn't do anything stupid, but… I never like making things simple, so…

Oh, okay, I think I've heard of it lol. I should really check it out. I want to watch it, too! All those cars and driving them arghhh. The new Game Over probably won't be done till I'm done with the next story after this. Or until I'm done with the series.


	37. Just Don't Lose Hope

**Marie's Casual wear:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**Ryan:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**Marie's Halloween Town Outfit:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Overhaul-Marie-s-Christmas-Town-costume-37 6281638?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=0

**Marie's Christmas Town Outfit:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Overhaul-Marie-s-Christmas-Town-costume-37 6281638?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=0

**A\N:**  
>YOU GUYS KINGDOM HEARTS 3 HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED AND IS IN DEVELOPMENT AND OMG I'M HAVING A NERDGASMFANGASM EVERY THING ABOUT IT IS JUST DGPJRGFOEJFDPODJ CAN'T COMPREHEND.

I don't own Slenderman. _Just sayin'._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Seven<br>****ଓ  
><strong>**Just don't lose hope**

We walked outside the workshop, and saw little footprints in the snow. It was obvious who it belonged, and we started making our way following them. Sora started slowing down and walked beside me. I didn't know what was going on, but he gave me a smile.

"You don't seem as happy to see Santa Claus," he said. I looked away, since I didn't really have an opinion I couldn't say anything. He nudged my shoulder, and I looked at him. He was smiling and his eyes were so blue, and I couldn't help but smile. I wasn't willing to really tell him how I felt, because I didn't want him to start hugging or be all touchy feeling. I didn't like him like that, but that was because my memories were all fuzzy and messed up.

"I guess I'm just not in the Christmas spirit," I said as I gave another smile. He had a slight frown, and I felt bad. I tugged on his sleeve and he looked at me as I spoke. "Tell me about the time you told everyone you didn't believe in Santa Claus."

**ଓ**

We continued our walk towards the graveyard, and I was feeling better after Sora told me his story. He was trying to prove he wasn't such a kid, and told everyone about him not believing in Santa. It was actually pretty cute, and I couldn't help but laugh after.

Jack stopped us, and told us to be quiet. We all stood behind him, and listened in. we heard those three kids talking and we all quickly ran towards them. They were near a curly hill, and a giant heartless was behind them. I was worried that maybe the heartless would eat them, but when they entered its cage like body, I thought otherwise. Sora and everyone else took out their weapons, and I did the same. It ate one of the children and I was going to panic, but the heartless grew very strong and I wondered if it was getting its powers from the kids.

Most likely.

**ଓ**

**Aura**

It was a bitter taste in her mouth to see her, that girl with the red hair. She knew who she was, and she wasn't going to let her ruin her plans. She crossed her arms as she saw Kairi standing out in front of Hayner, Pence and Olette's hideout. She was checking the area out, and Aura wondered about how she got there. Though, she had a pretty good idea who brought her along, but he never confirmed or denied.

"I don't like it," she said. Riku came walking up beside her and looked at Kairi. He didn't know what to say, and Aura scoffed. "If she interferes with my plans—"

"She won't," he replied, feeling a bit frustrated at his friend being targeted. Aura really had no right to be talking about her like that, but the nobody didn't care one bit. She warned him about her personality, and she wasn't going to change that for anyone. Riku sighed. "She knows about Sora and Marie. She wouldn't do that."

"That doesn't always stop a person from getting what they want," she replied. Riku rolled his eyes and Aura caught a glimpse of it. She dropped her arms, and started walking away. She didn't like the fact that she was there, and she cared less that Riku was defending her. Aura was a mean person, and she knew it. Riku was stupid to think he could change her, and he was starting to get really frustrated with her about the whole Kairi situation.

"Try to lighten up," he said as he turned around. Aura stopped in her tracks, and he continued. "You're always so angry or mean. Maybe Roxas or Axel would be here if you were more considerate or nice."

That really hit home, and Aura gritted her teeth together. She had been trying hard not to remember Roxas, and the whole ordeal she had with Axel was a really sensitive one for her. She turned around and glared at the young man before her as she spoke. "And I don't have to deal with this. DiZ can find someone else to do his dirty work, because I'm done with it and I'm done with you."

She created a portal and walked through it. Riku attempted to follow but it closed as soon as he got close. He sighed and felt bad for having said what he said, but there was some truth to it. Maybe he wasn't so stupid for trying to change her, because she really had changed somewhat, but she needed more time to change. He took a deep breath and walked out of the clock tower, and tried thinking of a way to apologize to Aura. Of course, she was at fault too, and he doubted he would get an apology from her.

**ଓ**

**Marie**

We were still fighting the heartless and it was taking a while. It was hitting us pretty hard and because of that I was on healing. My healing spells were stronger than Donald's while his spells were stronger than mine, so we were pretty balanced with Sora and Jack on the offensive while Goofy was on the defensive.

"Just a little more!" Jack shouted as he laid one of his attacks for the heartless. I healed Sora a couple of times, and he attacked the heartless while in his form with Goofy. The heartless looked really weak, and with a couple of attacks from Donald, Jack and Sora it went down. When the heartless released the children, they started laughing and even mocked us. Geez, they are really naughty.

"Let's go see if Mr. Oogie is ready!" they said. Jack was beyond surprised when he heard Oogie's name, and he was sure that he was back in town. I thought we got rid of him? He asked us if we were prepared to fight him, and Goofy made a good point when he said we already had enough trouble—we don't need a sack full of insects bugging us.

We made our way back towards the graveyard, and we saw Sally running towards us. Jack asked her what was wrong, and she looked completely panicked. When she caught her breath, she looked at us and spoke. "Jack! Oogie's kidnapped Santa Claus!"

Everyone—especially Sora—all gasped and was worried for the big guy. Sally told us that Oogie was headed for Christmas Town, and Sora told us we needed to go. We all nodded, and quickly made our way towards the town.

**ଓ**

When we made it back to Christmas Town, we saw black smoke coming from the workshop. We didn't have much time to spare, so we all ran towards the house. Sally also came along, and I was glad. They could've kidnapped her, too.

We ran past the carousal and walked through the door. We looked around to see if Santa was around but no luck. Jack ran past the doors, and we followed close behind. They all took out their weapons, while I looked around. We didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but then we heard a very familiar laugh. We turned around, and saw Oogie standing on a ledge. He jumped down and brutally pushed Sally off the ledge. My eyes widened at the sight, and this guy probably doesn't realize how much he weighs with all those bug in him.

"Jack Skellington!" he shouted. Wow, did he really not just apologize or acknowledge Sally's presence? What a jerk. He started laughing again, and pointed at Jack. "You and I have a score to settle, Jack! Same goes for your little sidekicks!"

I completely ignored this guy's words and managed to jump down the ledge to go and look for Sally. I saw her hopping on one leg, while her other was torn apart. I quickly ran up to her, and she sighed in relief when she saw me. I helped her get to a safer place while Oogie and the boys were talking. Oogie jumped down from the ledge, and we both gasped when he came walking towards our direction. I hurried Sally along, and we hid behind a wall as he approached Santa Claus.

"And why is this roly-poly red guy here? Time to go grandpa!" we heard Oogie say. We looked as he dragged Santa up, and Sally panicked.

"We have to stop him!" she said. I looked around. Just how are we going to do that? Sally thought for a moment, and she looked at my headband and then at her leg. She grabbed my headband, and told me to throw it at Oogie while she would throw her leg. I raised my eyebrow at this—eh, why not. We ran a little towards them, and at the same time we threw our stuff at him. Her leg caused a distraction while my headband smacked him a bit. He staggered a bit and looked down at Sally's leg, while Santa escaped from him.

"Mr. Santa Claus!" Sally called out. Santa came running towards her and we heard Oogie growling. She ran to a safer place with him, while Sora, Jack, Donald and Goofy stopped Oogie. I ran up to them, and Oogie didn't look happy at all. He ran towards the conveyer belt and walked into one of the holes, and then he appeared above us. He pressed a button and all of a sudden the belts started moving. I shouted a bit from the sudden movement, and we started running when we saw spikes at the ends. To our front were holes, and Donald tried running to them. When he did, he ended up on the other conveyer belt. I took out my keyblade, and prepared to think of a way to get off and get to Oogie.

Luckily, presents started coming out of the holes, and Jack suggested we use them to hit Oogie. Donald and Goofy took one end of the belt, while Jack took the other. Sora and I stayed in the middle, and he looked over to me. "I'm glad you're fighting with us instead of being caged up."

I took a moment to think and I remembered last year when I was caged up. It was pretty bad and I remember thinking that I would rather be fighting with Sora than be caged up. I shook my head and looked at Sora as I smirked. "I don't think Oogie likes me anymore."

We both looked up ahead, and grabbed some of the presents as we started throwing them at Oogie. It was a little difficult to do with the conveyer belts moving, but we managed. It was like baseball, and we used our keyblades as bats. Donald did the same with his staff, while Goofy bounced them off of his shield. Jack basically threw them with his long arms, and I never really noticed just how much of a slender man he was. I'm surprised his name _wasn't_ slender-man.

We continued to throw the presents at Oogie, who had a few sneaky tricks up his sleeve. He pressed a few buttons and big fists came falling from the ceiling. Sora and I were almost hit by it, but we managed to jump out of its way.

Eventually one of the presents hit Oogie, and he came falling down on top of the belts. Donald and I took the chance to cast a few spells, while Sora and Jack attacked him physically. He blocked a few attacks, but Goofy came in spinning around and he wasn't able to block that. He ran inside the hole, and jumped back up into a glass box of sorts. The presents started coming out, and they were much harder than before. We decided to use the presents to hit the glass, and after a few hits it started to break.

"Just hit it a few more times!" Sora shouted. We all nodded, and grabbed the presents and threw them at Oogie. I tripped over one of the presents and fell, and I tried getting up but the fact that the belt was moving made it harder to gain balance. I looked behind me and the spikes were there, and I used one of the presents to stall it for a bit. I threw it at the spikes, and it basically chewed it up, but I was able to get up. We threw a few more presents, and after a while the glass broke, and Oogie fell onto the belt.

We attacked him again, and this time he was having a hard time blocking our attacks. Sora managed to slice open a part of him, and the bugs started falling out. I nearly screamed when they started squirming around on the floor, but Oogie closed up the rip. He sighed in relief and then laughed at us. Another rip appeared from his other side, and the bugs started falling out from there. He quickly started grabbing that hole, but then the other one opened. He started screaming in pain as the bugs fell out of him, and I was starting to get grossed out by the bugs. The bugs eventually dispersed, and all that was left was a sack.

A bug came walking towards us, but Donald quickly stepped on it. It made a crunchy noise and I really wanted to scream. Bugs are just creepy.

**ଓ**

"All right, Christmas is safe again!" Sora said as he looked around. I looked around as well, and noticed that nothing was out of the ordinary. I sighed in relief. Now Santa can get to working.

"Perfect! I'd better get down to business!" Jack said as he walked past us. Donald and Goofy weren't too happy about it, and even told him that he should stick with the spooky stuff. I gave a little chuckle, and then we saw Sally come out.

"Jack... Here, it's done," she said as she handed him red folded clothes. He thanked her, and she asked if he really had to go through with it. I wasn't sure what she was talking about, but then I saw Jack put on the clothes saying he would make a perfect Santa Claus. Just then, the actual Santa came out of the workshop.

"Listen, Jack Skellington. You save me, and Christmas as well. And for that, I've very grateful," he said as he sounded a bit desperate. "But please promise me you won't cause any trouble… and about that suit…"

Jack turned around looking identical to Santa, except a more skeletal looking Santa Claus. Santa told him he didn't want him taking over his job this year, but Jack only told him he wanted to help—mainly because of how exhausted Santa looked from all the preparations. Santa sighed.

"Now listen to me, Jack," Santa said as he looked at him. "Seeing the happy faces of little children when they discover the presents I've brought them makes it all worthwhile, year after year after year."

I frowned a bit at that, because I wasn't one of those children. Santa continued and told Jack that he loved to make children gasp and shiver with fright, and asked if he would like it if someone took that from him. They both had very special tasks, with Santa taking care of Christmas and Jack taking care of Halloween. He told him that he was the master of terror, and that they both had jobs to attend to. Santa quickly ran inside when he said that, since he _actually_ had urgent stuff to do.

"You're right! I _am_ the master of terror!" Jack said as he did a scary pose. He promised himself he would make every year scarier for the children to scream. The mayor came walking by and asked Jack to help for next year's Halloween preparations, since he couldn't do anything without his approval. Jack walked back with him, and Santa wished him luck.

"Well, there he goes," Sora said as he placed his hands behind his head. Santa told us he had a lot to do, what with checking names and preparations, and I wanted to ask if I was on the naughty list. However, Jack started glowing with Sora's keyblade, and a light came from his suit. A keyhole appeared, and Sora did his usual.

"We better get going," Sora said as he finished. Santa told him to stop for a moment, and looked at him.

"I believe there was a friend of yours… who—if I remember correctly—was the one who told you there's no such thing as Santa Claus?" Sora looked at him, and was reminded of that time. Santa told him to give him his very best wishes but Sora didn't know where Riku was, and asked Santa if he knew. "No, but don't give up! Remember, if you believe in Riku, you will find him. Just as you found me."

Sora smiled and nodded, and I noticed Santa looking at me. I gave him a smile, and he started to speak. "As for you my dear, I realized why you weren't on my naughty or nice list—you haven't had a Christmas in over ten years."

"What!?" Sora exclaimed. He scratched the back of his head, and asked how it was possible. I started to laugh a little, and he looked at me.

"Come on Sora, don't you remember? I was in a coma for ten years a year ago, so of course I didn't have any Christmases," I said as I looked at the ground. I sighed, and looked at Santa. "But what does that make me? Naughty or nice?"

"You've been doing a lot of good things, so you are definitely on the nice list," he said. I smiled and thanked Santa Claus. He gave a smile in return, and spoke again. Don't worry, Marie. I know there are a lot of things bothering you, but you have proven yourself to be a strong girl."

I nodded, and it was true I guess. If I wasn't strong I probably wouldn't be here today, or back when I was younger. I did go through a lot, but I never really thought about the seriousness of it all that well. I knew it was bad, and that it was just a series of unfortunate events, but I managed to come out on top. I am strong, but I can't fully accept it. Not until I'm really happy with myself on my identity. I shook my head, and we all said goodbye to Santa. It was definitely nice to be in a place such as Christmas Town since it was so beautiful, but we had to continue with our journey. But before that…

"You guys, can we go on the carousal?" I said as I skipped towards it. I don't know why, but it looked so interesting, and I really wanted to enjoy it. I dusted snow off one of the horses, and mounted it. I looked at the others, who just laughed at my attempt. I couldn't help but laugh, but then Donald had an idea. He used his thunder magic to hit the bottom of the carousal, and it started going around. I gasped when the horses started going up and down, and the three of them quickly climbed on top of the other three horses. We started laughing as it went round and round, and I looked at all of them. Donald threw a snowball at Goofy, who fell of his horse, and then threw one at me and Sora. I quickly got off my horse and started making a snowball to throw at Donald, but he beat me to it. I started laughing and decided to throw one at Sora. He actually blocked it, and started running towards me. I started screaming and ran around trying to avoid him, but he laughed and eventually caught me. He lifted me up for a bit, and when he did I suddenly remembered something Sally told me a year ago.

_"I know you won't, but don't lose hope in Sora, no matter what happens between you two. From what I can see, you both seem to love each other dearly, so don't let anything come between that."_

When Sora brought me down I decided to hug him. He seemed a bit surprised by the action, but he placed his arms around me. I don't know why, but those words that Sally said kind of brought about some romance in me. Even though I can't remember what I had with Sora, there are words that people say that make me believe in him. I no I won't ever lose hope in Sora, even if I never end up remembering, I won't ever leave his side. As the hug went on, we both felt cold snow hit our face, and we looked over to Donald, who stuck out his tongue as he tried throwing another snowball. Luckily Sora blocked it, and we both nodded as we made snowballs to throw at Donald.

It may not be with my family, but I was really glad to be spending Christmas with these guys, especially Sora. I'm scared of when we'll have to separate, but at least this time I'll have great memories.

* * *

><p>Aw, Marie could be remembering sooner about her memories, but even if she doesn't she'll always stay by Sora's side. Aura, on the other hand, is just a <em>tad<em> pissed at Riku. Do you think she's being inconsiderate?

Next world: The Pride Lands!

**Dracula X:  
><strong>Haha, she's not exactly nice, but not at all naughty. :D  
>Oh yes, I saw the trailers, and I am INCREDIBLY excited!<p>

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Nah, she's not lol. XD Aura, on the other hand…

**Lvl-ZeR0:  
><strong>Why thank you! I guess that's true, which is why evil Marie will have an epic death!


	38. God, I hate Cats

**Marie's Casual wear:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**Ryan:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**Marie's Prideland Form: **  
>www<strong>.<strong>swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-in-pridelands-coloured-240540217?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=18

**A\N: **  
>I think after this world we go into the battle of the thousand heartless. If that's the case, be prepared for the most epic scene in the form of writing. Seriously, <em>a lot <em>will be happening during this time. Marie loses her shit, Sora loses his shit, Ryan loses his shit, Aura loses her shit, Riku… well you get what I mean.

On a different note, Sora looks like Kovu in Prideland form! Ryan also looks like Sora, but with a lighter shade of brown and sea blue eyes instead of the bright ones Sora has.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Eight<br>****ଓ  
><strong>**God, I hate cats**

When we returned to the ship Ryan greeted us. He was bored beyond all, but managed to get a lot of sleeping—something he said he really needed. I was glad that he was taking better care of himself, and we all took a break before landing on the next world. As we did, Ryan seemed a bit out of it again.

"Are you okay?" I asked. This spacing out thing of his was happening a lot, and I remember him being very eager or very talkative from the start. He shook his head, and he looked ahead and at the screen in front of him.

"I just want to be more useful," he said as he clicked a few buttons. "You're not much of a fighter, but you're useful in your healing abilities or even using your techniques. I have nothing like that."

"You _are_ useful, Ryan," I said as I lowered my eyes. "You know so much about mechanics and this ship in such a short time. You know first aid and it's very important to us. You also tend to notice things that not everyone else seems to notice."

"But fighting," he said as he stopped pressing the same buttons. "I want to _fight_. I want to be a man and fight for you guys, but with my condition I can't so squat. I feel so inferior."

I placed my elbows on his shoulder and leaned against them. I looked at the screen and then up at the window in front of us. I sighed. "There's gonna be something you'll be great at, and I know you'll be wonderful when it happens."

Ryan chuckled, and threw me off his shoulder. I laughed along with his chuckling, and the three other guys came in. I looked around and they seemed ready to hit the next world—which was a world called The Pridelands. It sounded very cool, but also kind of familiar. I remember someone mentioning it a year ago, but who…

"I don't think we can land. We have to teleport again," Donald said as he looked at the screen. That was fine with me, and everyone else seemed okay with it. Ryan got up, and we all stepped on the teleporter to the side of the ship. Goofy pressed the button, and I seriously wondered what type of planet we were going to.

**ଓ**

"Hey, check us out!" Sora exclaimed as he moved around. I was still trying to adjust the movement, but basically… we went from being humans… to lions. Well, Donald was a bird and Goofy was a turtle, but as for Sora, Ryan and I... we were full on lion cubs. I lifted my han—uh, I lifted my paw and tried walking, but I slipped every time. Ryan didn't bother to move, and Sora just looked around.

"This place is kinda creepy, though," he said. I stopped trying to move and looked around, and suddenly we were surrounded by other animals. One of them started laughing hysterically, and Ryan cringed at it.

"That's an annoying laugh…," he said. I noticed Sora frantically looking around, and wondered if they were heartless. Goofy and I were on the same page and thought they were just living in the place.

"Don't mind us! Just passing through. We won't be any trouble," Donald assured them. Sora greed, but then one of the animals started walking around us.

"Don't be silly," she said. Her voice was definitely female, but a bit deep. "We'd love you to stick around for lunch."

"Well, I am hungry," Ryan replied. "But we don't really have anything to eat."

"That's not gonna be a problem!" the other one said, which was definitely male. I felt really uncomfortable all of sudden, and Goofy suggested that we were the ones for lunch. I felt my stomach churn, and Donald yelled for us to run. My eyes widened, but Sora looked my way and told us to follow him. I couldn't even walk, let alone run! Either way, Ryan and I followed him, but it didn't last very long when we all tumbled onto each other!

"Going somewhere?" the male animal said. I stuck close to the wall, and he looked like he was about to eat us. I saw Donald and Goofy cornered by the other animals, and I really wanted to scream right about now, but then we heard a loud roar. I closed my eyes, and I heard the animal speak. "Man! That scar's got bad timing."

"Just let him roar," the female said. The male shook his head, and told her that they needed to see what he wanted, since he was apparently grumpy enough as it is. I heard the whole lot of them running away, and I opened my eyes. Sora and Ryan got up, while Donald and Goofy made their way towards us.

"I dunno what that was about, but I'm glad it's over!" we all sighed after Sora spoke, since that was a _very_ close call. Sora started walking a bit, and didn't look like he was doing so well. "Everything's harder on four legs."

"Better start practicing!" Donald told us. Goofy walked over to us, and told us that he found a trick to it. Ryan and I walked towards him slowly, and once we were near he started teaching us his trick.

**ଓ**

**Organization XIII**

"I almost had her that time," a very familiar girl said. The rather evil duplicate version of Marie flipped her hair back when she stood in the same room as Saix and Xemnas. The leader of Organization XIII wasn't very pleased, and Saix was even less. Fakey, as dubbed by Sora and the others, sighed. "It's just that nobody that keeps getting in the way. Why don't you deal with her and then I can do my job."

A quick and hard back-handed slap came from Saix to the girl, and she growled in reply. He didn't like it when anyone talked that way to him or to Xemnas, and he wasn't going to let some second rate doll do the same. "You'll speak with respect in Master Xemnas' presence."

She touched her cheek and rolled her eyes, she really wasn't in the mood. It really was all of that nobody's—the one who was named Aura—fault. She kept appearing when she clearly wasn't welcomed, and she needed to deal with that bother. She turned to Xemnas and Saix, who had given her the order to find Marie. She nodded, and set out to destroy the original.

**ଓ**

**Marie**

Goofy taught us a lot, and I was surprised we were walking properly. Ryan and Sora kept running around, while I just walked to get the hang of it. I wish I was bird like Donald, since I'd rather be flying and checking out the scenery. The worst part of being a cub was handling the keyblade, and Sora got it down pretty quickly. I was still having a bit of trouble. Either way, we all left to the next area, since we weren't going to stay with a couple of hungry stricken animals around. I honestly can't remember what type of animals they are, but I guess we'll find someone who does know.

As soon as we started walking, we saw a lioness fending off some monsters. When I took a closer look, they were heartless!

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sora asked as he kept his eyes on the lioness. Donald and Goofy wondered what to do, but then Sora immediately ran over to protect her. I was a bit hesitant because I didn't want to screw up and cost us our lives, but if Sora got the sword handling down then I guess we were alright. I jumped down the rocks and ran towards Sora and the lioness, and everyone else followed. Donald took out a stick, which I guess was his staff, while Goofy just prepared himself. I realized that his shell was basically a shield in itself, and I was glad. I looked over to Ryan, who seemed eager to fight. I raised my eyebrow.

"You gotta hide," I said. He shook his head, however, and told me he was feeling fine.

"There's something about being a lion," he started. "I didn't even feel tired from running—I don't think my anemia is affecting me here!"

That was actually good news, but, how was he going to fight? Without a moment to think, one of the heartless started charging towards us. I willed out my keyblade and it appeared in my mouth. I took a stance and ran towards the heartless while dealing it a small slash. I turned around to fight again, but I saw Ryan scratching the thing pretty ferociously. I ran up and attacked it a couple of times, while Ryan did his own thing. Soon enough, we were able to get rid of the thing.

"Thank you. You really saved me," the lioness said. We all turned towards her, and Goofy told her that we were glad that she was safe. Sora asked if she saw any other heartless around. "Heartless… is that what they're called? I'm not sure if there are any others…I don't usually hunt outside the Pride Lands."

"Hey, do you know if a guy named Riku is there?" Sora asked. "Or some bad guys in black hoods? Or maybe this really big bully named Pete?"

The lioness shook her head and Sora sighed, it wouldn't hurt to look around the place to see for ourselves. The lioness shook her head again though, "Wait—the pride lands are dangerous. Scar and the hyenas have made things unbearable for everyone. There's no food left. They've driven off the prey. We're about to starve."

Is that what those things are called? I'm surprised I couldn't remember them, but either way, I'm glad they ran away. Sora walked up to the lioness and told her that we could handle a little danger, but I wasn't so sure. The lioness seemed pretty sure about it though, and she turned to us. "You could be just what the kingdom needs. Maybe you can help us," she said.

She explained that Scar became their king after the last king, Mufasa, died. We all raised our eyebrows when she asked if we could get rid of the guy, and Sora told her to wait for a moment. We all huddled up, and Sora was a bit weary about kicking some guy off the throne. "We just can't go around kicking kings off their thrones," he said.

"Then again, if they see that I'm stronger than their king, maybe they'll ask me to be their next king!" Donald, Goofy and I all exchanged looks, and Goofy was about to warn him, but he laughed. "I'd have to refuse, of course. Still, I'd like to see the pride lands, so you guys don't mind lending 'em a paw, do you?"

Without really getting our words, Sora ran over to the lioness. I just stood there with Donald, Goofy and Ryan. I don't think _any_ of us thought this would be a good plan. "Uh-oh, there he goes again...," Donald complained.

"He wouldn't be Sora if he didn't," I said, and they all agreed. The cub in question came over to us, and told us that we had to meet the lioness at a place called Pride Rock, since she was going to tell the other lionesses. We turned around, and when I looked at the piles of rocks and hills I sighed. So, when do we get our break?

**ଓ**

We all made our way up towards a giant rock, and saw a lot of lions and lionesses sleeping or walking around. When we stopped and saw the lioness that we helped named Nala, she walked over with a monkey holding a staff. She told him that we were the guys who were going to help, and he walked over and took a close look at us. He walked back to the lioness, whispered something in her ear, and left. She seemed greatly disappointed with what he said, and Sora asked what happened.

"I asked Rafiki you might be able to help us force Scar and the hyenas out of the pride lands, but he says it won't work," she told us. "You see, whoever saves the Pride Lands will be our next king…and he has to have the right qualities."

"Meaning…"

"I think she means you're not cut out for the job, Sora," Goofy told him. Sora gave a giant sigh of disappointment, and Nala told us she was sorry we came all this way. Although walking and jumping through the rocks and hills was a pain, it didn't bother me that much, and neither did it bother the others. She did tell us we should leave before Scar finds out about our appearance, and if it meant avoiding those hyenas I was all for it.

We turned around and started walking, but apparently what I wanted to avoid ended up surrounding us. "Hey—a snack," the male hyena said.

"Snack? Nah, we got us a three course meal with dessert," the female hyena added. The third hyena started laughing like crazy, and Ryan muttered how annoying it was again. We all heard a roar, and the male hyena told us it was Scar—the king. We turned around, and we saw another lion with them. Sora jumped up and shouted it was Pete. I raised my eyebrow and looked a bit closer—I guess it is him!

Scar came jumping down with ease while Pete… well, he pretty much stumbled all the way down. I couldn't help but feel bad, but hey, no one told him to show off. "What are you doing here!?" Sora asked.

Without even a moment to blink Donald, Goofy, Ryan and I were surrounded. Sora turned to us, but we couldn't even make a run for it. We heard Scar telling the lionesses to hunt, and he pointed towards us. I widened my eyes—I don't want to be eaten! I heard Pete tell him we were all his and I wanted to slap him. I heard a loud roar, and Nala jumped on scar, giving us time to escape. We tried running, but the hyenas were fast on our tails. Nala ran in front of us, and told us to follow her. We followed her all the way outside of Pride Rock while also losing the hyenas. When we were out of sight we stopped, and she apologized about getting us into trouble.

"Aw, it's not your fault. Sora wouldn't be a good king," Donald said. Goofy snickered, and Sora seemed a bit annoyed. He told us he had to give it a try, and Goofy called him out on him actually wanting to be a king.

"Well…you know…," Sora said. He quickly changed the subject though. "Uh, Nala, isn't there anybody else who could be king?"

"There was… but he died… when he was just a cub," she said with a sad expression. She stopped talking for a bit and looked down, and I wondered who the cub could've been. She looked up and at us. "He was the son of our last king, Mufasa. If only Simba were here."

"Wait...what? Simba? But I thought…," I said as I looked at the others. His name brought back a lot of memories, since he was with us last year. Damn my memory for not remembering sooner. Sora gave me a nod and looked at Nala.

"Simbas's just fine! He was fighting right beside us not that long ago," he explained. Nala was beyond shocked and asked us where he was if he was alive, but we didn't know. She seemed a bit disappointed, but was glad to know he was alive. She asked us if we could tell her more about him, but somewhere far where Scar wouldn't find us. We agreed and started walking over to what Nala called the Wildebeest Valley.

We eventually made our way to a giant crevasse, and Ryan, Sora and I looked at it. Nala ran back a bit, and she ran at full speed when she jumped. She made it all the way to the other end, and my mouth flung open when she did. We all looked at each other, and she asked us what was wrong. "We're never gonna make it!" Sora exclaimed.

She muttered something and Sora asked her what she said. She shook her head, and smiled at us. "Never mind. It's not important. Here, I'll show you how."

**ଓ**

"Whoa! That was such a rush! I wanna do that again!" I heard Ryan shout. I looked over to them, and I was terrified to even run over a giant hole. Sora, Donald, Goofy and Ryan were all over at the other side with Nala, and I was still on the other end.

"Come on, Marie! You can do it!" Nala said. I covered my eyes with my paws, and didn't even want to look ahead. I admit I'm being a bit overdramatic, but you stand by me and say you can jump over a very wide and deep hole.

"It's okay, Marie! I'll catch you," I heard Sora said. I lifted one of my paws, and I looked at him. He gave me a very confident smile, and I closed my eyes. An image appeared in my head, and I remembered jumping down a couple of places from last year… Wonderland and Monstro to be precise, but I also remember Sora being there every time I jumped. He was always encouraging me… always supportive. Was I remembering more of him and me together? I shook my head, if Sora was supporting me and if he believed I could jump, then maybe… but even so, I still felt scared.

_"You are braver than this."_

"Stella!?" I called out, completely shocked to hear that voice. I looked around, but hoping she'd reply or something, but the connection was dead. I lowered my head, Stella… why are you talking now, right when I'm getting used to not having you around? I shook my head, regardless of whether she's talking or not, she's right! I am braver than this and most things, but why do I always doubt myself…?

I ran back a bit and stopped as I took a deep breath. When I jump I am going to make it, and maybe lift my esteem a bit. _Maybe_. I positioned myself and looked straight ahead. I started running and my speed kept rising and rising until I felt myself lift from the floor. I didn't dare look down to the ground, and I kept my eyes straight towards the rest of the guys. I felt my paws touch the ground, and I felt myself about to stumble but then I felt myself against fur, and I looked up to see Sora smiling at me. "Told you I'd catch you," he winked.

I smiled and got up, looking at everyone else. They smiled and Ryan told me I did a good job. I thanked them, and I thanked Sora personally. When they started walking ahead I took a moment and looked up at the sky. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Thanks, Stella.

* * *

><p>Wow, Stella! Long time no see. We won't see much of her until later on, but I wonder what she's thinking? I bet she misses her daughter. I wonder what Dante thinks?<p>

And Fakey! Don't you know you can't win against Aura? If she catches you she 'gon keel you.

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>I loved it, too! I love Tim Burton and I really wish I can see Corpse Bride in the next game since I love Victor sooo much! Haha, who knows if I will though, since at this point I still need to tie loose ends like Fakey, Aura and Roxas. I wonder, too! She might feel intimidated once she sees Kairi because she got prettier, or who knows! Yea that annoyed me too. I hate her keyblade to be honest lol. I shall let you know and OMG YESS. IF EVERYONE COMES BACK I WILL DIE OF PURE JOY BECAUSE HURRRR. I can't wait!

**Shadowmwape:  
><strong>Thank you!

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Lol, I love the pridelands but that's because I love The Lion King all together and who knows? Scar might not want anything to do with her. ;)

**WingOfHope:  
><strong>I know, right? But you never know, the next world after Pride Lands will be a very epic one. Or at least I hope so if it's the thousand heartless battle scene. :D


	39. You're sitting on my throne!

**Marie's Casual wear:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/I-bring-you-peace-214094964?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=5

**Ryan:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**Marie's Prideland Form: **  
>www<strong>.<strong>swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-in-pridelands-coloured-240540217?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=18

**A\N: **  
>Okay, so I might've been exaggerating a bit for the next few chapters. The only real people who kinda lose their shit are Sora and Marie. Aura loses it a bit only cause of Marie and probably Demyx. I wish everyone lost their shit though, it'd be pretty epic.<p>

On a different note, Sora looks like Kovu in Prideland form! Ryan also looks like Sora, but with a lighter shade of brown and sea blue eyes instead of the bright ones Sora has.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Nine<br>****ଓ  
><strong>**You're sitting on my throne!**

"When Simba's father, King Mufasa, died," Nala started as we continued our trek through the valley. "We were told that Simba died alongside him."

Sora asked her who told them that, and she paused for a moment before telling us that it was Scar who told them all. We stopped with her, and a moment after we heard footsteps. We turned around and saw Rafiki walking up a hill, and he stopped and pointed his staff. "It is time!" he shouted.

I didn't know what he meant, but Nala quickly jumped on the idea that Simba was still alive. She started running ahead, and without a moment to think, so did everyone else. Ryan turned to me, and I nodded when we both started running. We kept running until we spotted a very green area with water and I was really happy to see it, since I was getting hot. We stopped running and started walking once we reached the jungle area, and it felt a lot cooler than the valley. I sighed out in relief and took in the fresh air. It seemed a bit quiet, but I really wasn't complaining since I felt pretty safe.

When we continued to walk into the oasis, we saw a really ferocious looking lion being surrounded by heartless. We were about to interrupt, but he started roaring and all of the heartless disappeared. I took a closer look, and I was surprised to know that it was actually Simba roaring off the heartless!

"Simba!" Sora shouted before I could say anything. We all ran towards him, but Simba seemed a bit defensive, and we stopped a few steps away from him. Sora quickly tried calming him down. "I—it's me—Sora! Marie, Donald and Goofy are here, too."

Simba walked up to us, and I was feeling a bit intimidated—you know, since he was a pretty big, ferocious looking lion and we were just cubs, a bird and a turtle. It seemed like it took him a moment, but Simba called our names as he smiled. He looked like he was about to lunge at us, and I tried jumping out of the way—but he ran too fast and the three of us—Sora, Ryan and I were caught underneath him as he snuggled us. I'm not really sure what was more awkward, the time I got kidnapped by gorillas or this. Donald and Goofy started laughing though, and it became less awkward when we all started laughing. "What happened to you?" Simba asked. Before any of us could answer though, we all heard a couple of screams.

"Help, Simba! Heelp!"

"She's gonna eat us!"

"Timon? Pumbaa!?" Simba called out. "Something must have happened in the jungle! I have to go help my friends!"

Simba quickly left as he ran towards the voices and we all ran behind him as back-up. We ran back into the jungle, we already saw Simba fighting someone else. It wasn't hard to know who it was, and we all called out for him

"Simba! Wait!" Sora shouted. "It's Nala, don't you recognize her?"

We watched as the two continued to fight, and I was getting a bit antsy seeing it. I really hope these two don't kill each other, and right before I was about to cover my eyes, Nala went on top of Simba. They stopped fighting and when Simba called her name she climbed off. We watched as he told her who he was, and it took her a moment before she shouted his name. She seemed so incredibly happy to see him, and they started circling each other.

"Hey! What's goin' on here!?" the little guy next to the warthog said. We all walked up behind them and when they turned they screamed and ran after Simba. I raised my eyebrow, boy these guys are easy to scare. Simba only smiled, and told them we were all his friends. "So that means… nobody's planning to eat anybody else for lunch, right?"

It was pretty obvious we weren't going to eat anybody, and it was pretty fun to see everyone laughing with each other. Simba asked if we could give him a moment with Nala, and we stayed behind while they walked off into somewhere.

**ଓ**

"Simba, you have to come back to Pride Rock!" Nala argued. "I thought Sora would be able to help, but you're the only one who can stop Scar."

"I can't go back," he said. Nala turned around and asked him why, and he lowered his head for a moment until he looked up. He told her about a saying—Hakuna Matata, and how it meant that bad things will happen and there was nothing anyone could do. Nala continued to follow him up towards the hill overseeing the waterfall, and she sighed.

**ଓ**

"Hakuna!"

"Matata!"

"Hakuna!" Timon called out. I don't know how, but we all managed to line up and started chanting Hakuna Matata, and Timon was leading the way. He told us how it basically meant 'without a care', and he started forming a line and told us to say 'Matata' after he said 'Hakuna'. I was behind Sora while Ryan was behind me. Donald and Goofy followed after, with Pumbaa closing off the line from behind. It was pretty fun, so we followed him up the hill until we saw Nala walking down.

"He's not the Simba I remember," she said. We stopped walking and watched as she left, "Something about Hakuna Matata."

She disappeared into the jungle and we all turned our heads toward Simba. He also walked passed us and headed into a secluded area. Sora looked at us, and then back to where Simba left. "Do you think we should follow him?" Goofy asked.

"I think we should," said Sora. "I'm kinda worried."

We followed the path that Simba took, with Timon and Pumbaa following us as well. We stopped a few feet from Simba, who was standing right at the edge of the cliff. He was looking up into the sky, and I wondered what was going on.

"My father's dead. And it's because of me… it's my fault," he said. We still stayed silent, and he continued talking. "I can't go back… it won't change anything."

We continued to watch as Simba stood there quietly, and I felt really bad. It was pretty obvious that Simba loved his father very much and I can only imagine how it must feel to lose someone that special. I looked over to Sora—was it possible he felt that way, too? I mean, I can't remember anything between us from last year… if I were in Sora's position, I'd feel like I lost someone who's been replaced by this person I don't really know anymore.

"Father… are you there?" I heard Simba say. We looked towards him, and he looked completely shocked. I didn't know what was happening, but he kept staring at the sky. "How can I go back? I'm not who I used to be."

It took a moment to realize what was happening, but when I see people talking to air, I catch on quick. I would have to guess that he was talking to a ghost or something similar from his subconscious. Maybe something like how I talk to Stella. He started running closer to the edge of the cliff, and he looked up. We all stayed in silence, and Simba tuned his head slightly.

"You can all come out now." I felt my heart sink a bit when he said that, but we walked out into the view nonetheless. He turned around, and told us how he had to go face his past. "I could use your help."

We agreed—of course we would help! When have we not helped? Simba laughed, and we all started looking towards the valley. I didn't even notice it was nighttime until the sun started rising and seeing Simba talk to himself really made me think of Stella, I wondered how she was doing.

**ଓ**

**Kingdom Hearts**

It was pretty hard not to follow on what her daughter was doing, so she gave up on trying. She watched her daughter throughout her journey, and although she wanted to talk to her that was something she wouldn't allow herself to do. She only let it slip once—to offer encouragement as she jumped over that hill, but that was it. She still wasn't talking to Dante, and wondered _when_ they would start. She didn't want to keep fighting, especially if they got out and became a family with their daughter.

Stella gave a dry laugh, she really didn't if she would be able to leave or not. It seemed like it wasn't going well, and she knew she couldn't use he own daughter for that. She didn't know how to give her powers back, and it really sucked the place didn't come with a manual of some sort. How was it that her mother learned so much more in the time she spent in Kingdom Hearts? She spent about ten years in the place while Stella reached her fifteenth year.

Of course, her mother was a certified keyblade master, so she knew more about this place. But why them? Why her mother? Why her? She didn't understand why it all started, and it was a bit foggy what her mother told her a long time ago. The only thing she wanted was for Marie _not_ to follow her footsteps.

Dante, on the other hand, was getting to know the mechanism of Kingdom Hearts. With him and Stella not on talking terms, he needed to know the place just as well as her. It was at least agreed for both of them that they were allowed to watch but not really help Marie, and he was okay with that. At times when Stella was not there, Dante sat and watched Marie on her journey and how she was getting a bit stronger on her own. Though far from how she was, he was glad she was making progress.

**ଓ**

**Marie**

Nala met us halfway when we made our way towards Pride Rock, and Simba was in shock at how stale and totally dead the place was. Timon was a bit vocal on the whole place. "Wait a minute. We're gonna fight your uncle for _this_?"

"Yes, Timon. This is my home." Simba looked at us, and then back at the place. We started walking up to the place and stopped when we saw Scar come out of his cave. He looked up and gasped when he saw Simba, and we all jumped down the rocks as he started walking towards Scar.

"Simba..! you're alive!" he said. He started backing up, and Simba just kept walking forward. He told him how the kingdom didn't belong to him, and Nala joined saying Simba was the rightful king. The choice was clear; Scar could either step down or fight. Scar seemed a bit nervous. "Must this call end in violence? I'd hate to be responsible for the death of a family member, Simba…"

"I've put the past behind me!" Simba shouted. Scar smirked and asked if his 'faithful subjects' had put the past behind them. Nala seemed confused, and Scar chuckled. He urged Simba to tell the truth, and I was starting to get confused. He continued to talk, and told him to tell the truth on who was responsible for Mufasa's death. Simba looked down, "I am."

"He admits it! Murderer! If it weren't for you, Mufasa would still be alive. Do you deny it?" Nala gasped, and Scar managed to corner Simba. He argued that it was an accident, and Scar gave a rough chuckle. "You're in trouble again. But this time, daddy isn't here to save you. And now everyone knows why!"

Simba tripped over and was hanging from the edge. Nala and I both gasped, and Scar was so close to throwing him off the cliff. I watched and was so on edge as Scar grabbed his paws. I was hoping he would help, since they were family, but after a few moments Simba jumped up and on top of him shouting, "Murderer! Tell them the truth!"

Scar mumbled a few words, but we could hear him. Simba told him to say it louder and Scar growled. "I..killed…Mufasa!"

I was shocked to hear that! How horrible do you have to be to kill your own flesh and blood? We heard an annoying laugh and Ryan quickly turned around to see the hyenas running past us as they pinned Simba down. Scar ran past us and headed into his cave, and we watched as Simba was surrounded by the hyenas.

"Simba! You get Scar! we'll handle these guys!" Simba ran after Scar while we all faced the hyenas. Timon and Pumbaa started pushing some around, but when they were overwhelmed by so many they also ran into the cave with the hyenas chasing after them. Sora, Ryan, Donald, Goofy and I followed close behind.

We entered and saw Timon and Pumbaa surrounded, and we all took out our weapons while Ryan prepared his claws. When the two stepped out of the way we all ran in attacking whatever hyena we got our hands on, and I was feeling pumped up—but whether or not it was because I was a lion was the question. I took out my keyblade and roughly attacked a couple near me. I was quick on my toes and blocked a couple of attacks while firing some spells, and Ryan basically tore them a new one with his claws. Sora attacked a lot more than me, with Donald and Goofy backing him up. I ran towards Timon and Pumbaa when I saw a couple of hyenas chasing them, and they huddled behind me. I lifted my chin as I raised my keyblade, and the stars on it all flew towards the hyenas. They yelped and some were injured, while others were even angrier. Ryan came in and jumped on a couple as he bit them, and I lifted my keyblade again as a shied appeared in front of Timon, Pumbaa and I—these shields were getting easier to handle!

All the other hyenas left and we were just left with those three. Ryan and I took the one with the annoying laugh, while Sora and the others dealt with the other two. When I got around to hitting this guy, he started laughing, and it seemed to get on Ryan's nerves. He jumped on the guy and started clawing him; while I made sure he wasn't getting hurt. Timon and Pumbaa were still running around and trying not to get hurt, and thankfully we only had to deal with just three of these hyenas. After a while of hitting all three of them, they decided to flee and left the cave. Nala came running in after, and we all wondered where Simba was. Nala pointed that he went further up into the cave, and we prepared ourselves to back him up.

* * *

><p>Yay, we're getting closer to the thousand heartless battle!<p>

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Lol, maybe on their second visit, but for now they gotta help Simba regain the throne! I will definitely make note on that song/cute moment :D

**Dracula X:  
><strong>LOL, I was actually thinking of a title like that, but I don't want to put the word shit, haha. Maybe something with losing your marbles, but definitely was thinking of a title like that. XD

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>Haha, well not _everyone_, I was being exaggerative. XD I love The Lion King, especially the second one! Little kovu was my favourite! Right!? They should totally incorporate that into the game and Sora will be like his best man until they call off the wedding. I was so sad though, I lurve Emily, too!

Yeah, I was like that too. -_- I wanted Marie's keyblades to be girly, but I also wanted them to be pretty cool, so I didn't add any flowers. That's just—noo. ._.

What about Roxas? He's not exactly like Axel, Terra Aqua or Ven. Unless somehow he merges with Ven since they look alike? I want me some Roxas T_T


	40. This feeling of uneasiness

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-38350 2787

**Ryan:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**Marie's Prideland Form: **  
>www<strong>.<strong>swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-in-pridelands-coloured-240540217?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F29599925&qo=18

**A\N: **  
>One more chapter to go until we reach that point… that epic point in this story! At least I hope it's one more chapter to go.<p>

Yay, chapter 40! I hope I reach my 60 chapter mark!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty<br>****ଓ  
><strong>**This feeling of uneasiness**

We climbed up the cave until we reached the very tip of it, and saw Simba and Scar circling around each other. They were breathing heavily, and it was obvious that they had been fighting a good while prior to our coming. Donald was ready to stop and help Simba, but Sora stopped him.

"This is his fight, Donald," he said. We watched as Simba dealt a heavy claw to Scar, who managed to withstand it. He clawed Simba in return, and pushed him all the way towards the corner. He blocked the oncoming attack, and we saw him flip Scar all the way off the cliff. I gasped a bit when I heard him scream as he fell, and it was terrifying to see Scar fall to his death. Maybe it was the exposure to death, but it didn't shock me as much as it would last year. We were glad that Simba was safe, and as we walked up to him we heard Pete talking behind us.

"Aw, that was just a sneak preview!" he said. He came walking out from the rock, and smirked at us. "'Cause this ain't over—not by a long shot!"

He pointed to where Scar had fallen off, and slowly, we saw claws reach the top. I gasped louder than before, mainly because I hadn't seen someone really rise from the dead _like that_. Pete chuckled however, and explained it to us. "Anger and jealousy turned the king of Pride Rock into a heartless! Oh, your kingdom's gonna rise again…but this time, as the Pride Lands of Darkness!"

Simba growled while everyone else took out their weapons. Ryan got his claws out and I willed my keyblade, preparing to fight heartless Scar. The area suddenly turned black, and Scar immediately went after Simba. I did my best to heal everyone, while Sora, Simba and Ryan were dealing damage to the guy. Goofy spun around in his shell while Donald dealt a couple of magic spells. I turned to see if Pete was still around, and when he wasn't my guess was that he ran… sneaky guy. I didn't focus on that though, since we had a former king to get rid of!

**ଓ**

**Aura**

Aura jumped down to a nearby roof of one of the houses in Hollow Bastion and looked over the place, she didn't how Marie could have such an affinity to this place, but she wanted to check on it for her. She hid when she noticed a brunette man walk around with a brunette woman and a younger woman with short dark brown hair, and tried listening to see if she could get any information.

"Aww, c'mon Squall," the young woman with short dark brown hair complained. "Just a five minute break!"

"…It's Leon, Yuffie," he told her. He rubbed his temples and closed his eyes. "And you had a half-hour break ten minutes ago."

"Aerith, back me up!" Yuffie complained to the woman with brown hair that was tied up. Aerith just stood there as she gave a chuckle. The three of them were working hard—well, the two of them—to rebuild Hollow Bastion to its original state. Aura listened in about how the progress was going, but she didn't care about that. What she cared about was if the heartless or nobodies were causing trouble. They didn't mention anything like that and she grunted in annoyance as she left, heading the direction opposite from them. She made her way to the bailey, and stopped to take a look at the view. The place didn't look anything nice, definitely nothing like Twilight Town or Destiny Island, but she was curious about how it looked before it crumbled.

"Who are you?" a low, but sharp voice called out. Aura turned around fully prepared, and she stared at a woman who was dressed in black with horns on the side of her head. Her skin was a sickly green, and her eyes shined with a tint of yellow. The woman closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them widely when she came to realize something. "Why do I sense the power of Kingdom Hearts from you?"

Aura narrowed her eyes at the woman; she knew who she was. "Well, that should be obvious, Maleficent. You _are_ partly responsible for making Marie go unconscious in Neverland. Don't you remember? She lost her heart. What comes out of that?"

"Ah, so you are the Nobody," she replied. Aura crossed her arms and stared hard at the woman. Although she grew with the hateful feelings toward Sora, this woman was more or less responsible for turning Riku into a dark hoarding fiend, and that pretty much caused Marie's temporary demise. Maleficent walked around the girl in a slow manner, and placed a finger on her chin. "How interesting that you, too, possess the power of Kingdom Hearts," she said.

"You must not go out a lot if you think _that_ is interesting," Aura retorted. "There is a lot of other interesting things like… the birds, or the buildings, hey… maybe even this."

She snapped her finger and a loud boom was heard, Maleficent closed and covered her eyes and used her staff to protect her from the pressure it created. When she opened them she saw a portal closing up, and scowled when she noticed the young Nobody escape.

"Ugh, stupid old hag," Aura said as she stood once again on top of a roof in Hollow Bastion. She overlooked the area and took a glance at the team she saw earlier walking around, this time they brought along an old man with blue robes and a blonde man with a toothpick in his mouth. She looked around once again, and since there were no nobodies or significant heartless roaming around, she decided to check out a couple of other places. She really only did this to get away from Twilight Town, since she didn't even want to look at Riku or Kairi any longer. She really only felt bad for leaving Naminé behind, but she got over it after a while. She puffed her cheeks and created her portal to leave to another world.

**ଓ**

**Marie**

So we just got done with defeating the heartless Scar, and even after the battle he was still standing. He was going to continue to fight, but after a few moments of just standing there a dark light appeared around him and he dropped dead. It was still a bit scary to just see him die like that, and even Ryan commented on how it was just a bit too morbid.

Well, bringing me out of my thoughts, we all watched as Simba took his rightful place atop the throne. He gave out a loud and ferocious roar, and the entire tribe followed. He kept looking up, and the sun suddenly appeared, giving the light to him. A keyhole appeared, and Sora did his usual thing.

"Hey, what's with the light show?" Timon asked. When Sora finished unlocking the keyhole, he turned towards them and told how we had to say good bye for a little while. Pumbaa offered to tell Simba, but Goofy shook his head.

"Aw, he's prob'ly busy. Just tell him we'll be back soon," he said. Timon was a bit sad that Simba would be busy as king, but they still had 'Hakuna Matata', so it wasn't all that bad. Timon still wasn't assured, and Pumbaa even ran away when he didn't want to be anyone's dinner. I started chuckling, and I saw Sora smiling from the corner of my eye.

"You can never forget your true buddies," he said as he looked at Timon chasing after Pumbaa. I stopped chuckling, but I was still smiling. He was right, there is no way someone can forget their friends, or family for that matter. Even if I'm struggling with my own friends and family, I know that they'll still be there for me. Even if they're not my _real_ parents, I know my aunt and uncle love me just as if I were they're own daughter. The only thing I'm worried about is meeting them; I wonder what they'll say?

**ଓ**

After leaving the Pride Lands, we decided to check back at Twilight Town, and I was really happy about it. I wanted to see the gang and how they were doing, and I even wanted to see how Seifer, Fuu and Rai were doing, too. Ryan decided to stay behind and catch up on some sleep. He said he didn't feel any pains or anything, and he still felt the rush from the Pride Lands. I was happy to hear that, since maybe he was getting better at controlling his anemia? As we walked down the street of Twilight Town, I started hearing Vivi's voice.

"H-Help! The sandlot! It's Seifer!" he shouted. He started running and eventually passed us, and I wanted to chase after him. I brought my hand close to my chest; what was Seifer doing now? "Somebody please help us!"

Vivi was gone by now, and I turned my head towards the other guys, "Let's go, I wanna see what's going on."

They all nodded and we all started making our way towards the sandlot. The place didn't change that much since I left, but there were less kids roaming around, but I figured it was because of school. I wonder how I'll do in my future since I've practically missed a year of learning thanks to this journey, but I know it's for the best. At least, I _hope _it's for the best.

We made our way towards the sandlot, and I immediately saw Seifer, Rai and Fuu on the ground being surrounded by nobodies. Seifer was trying to get up, and I gasped as I ran to their side. "Seifer! Fuu! Rai!" I cried out.

As I bent down near Seifer, who was still trying to get up, Sora, Donald and Goofy came in front of us. He told me to take care of them while they dealt with the nobodies and I complied. While they were busy dealing with them, I brought Seifer's arm around my shoulder as I carried him near the benches. After that I dragged Fuu and Rai near him, and I tended to Seifer's wounds first. I asked what had happened.

"They just came out of nowhere," he said, grunting with pain. I told him to hold still while my hands placed pressure on his wound, and a little tiny light appeared. I felt my hands become shaky and when I looked at them they wouldn't calm down, I started sniffling and I felt tears come down. "Why are you crying?" I heard Seifer ask. I looked up at him but looked back down once I met his eyes.

"I don't know..., I think I'm scared." Why was I crying? The thought of having my friends—even if some of them were bullies—being attacked made me scared. I quickly wiped away any tears that were falling down, and looked at Sora, Donald and Goofy fighting. I wanted to check on Hayner, Pence and Olette, but I couldn't leave the rest here unattended. The fight was getting a bit too intense, and when Fuu and Rai started waking up I quickly healed them both up. "Alright, I need you guys to get out of here!"

Seifer was a bit reluctant, but after a few bouts of begging, him and his team left. I ran up to Sora, who was just about done with fighting, and asked if he and everyone else were okay. He was about to answer me, but I jumped when I heard someone appear.

"Impressive," he said. We turned around and were met with a man in a hooded black coat; I brought my hands close to me, since this guy was part of that Organization 13 group. "By the way, have you seen a man named Axel? I expect he's here somewhere."

"Like I care," Sora retorted.

"You see, Axel's no longer acting in our best interest," the man replied. Goofy asked if he was with the organization, and he nodded. Sora commented on how they weren't a very organized Organization, but it wasn't really the time to get cheeky. "Don't let your guards down. Axel will stop at nothing to turn you into a Heartless."

"Gee, thanks for looking out for us, mister," Sora retorted once again. He told him how we could handle ourselves fine on our own, but I was curious as to why Axel wanted Sora to be a Heartless, but not the rest? The man started mocking us saying it would break their hearts if something happened to Sora, and Donald retorted by saying they didn't have any.

"True, we don't have hearts…" The man started pulling down his hood, and when he did I nearly dropped to my knees. "But we remember what it was like. That's what makes us special."

"Whaddya' mean?" Goofy asked. I felt like I couldn't move, since this man… his hair was long and blue and his eyes were gold and yet so familiar. Why did I feel like… I remember him? He looked straight at me, and I flinched at the look he gave. It was a long, hard stare and I started feeling really uncomfortable. I know him, but from where!?

"We know very well how to injure a heart," he said, still looking at me. He created a portal and I heard Sora talking about following him, and how we would be able to see where their hideout was, but the man overheard. "We'll leave her be for now, so don't be reckless. Do you want to end up like Riku?"

Both Sora and I quickly called out Riku's name, but the man started disappearing into his portal. Sora attempted to follow him, but the portal closed. I just stood there wondering about how this man felt so familiar, but not for the life of me could I figure out who he was. "What does he mean, end up like Riku?" Sora thought out loud.

"Hey, how 'bout you get out of my town now?" I heard Seifer say. I turned around and saw him standing with Fuu and Rai behind him. "You've caused enough trouble."

I was still a bit tied up with my thoughts to give an answer, but Donald just told us we should leave. When Donald turned around though, Seifer told him to wait, which caused him to get even angrier and told him to make up his mind. Seifer took out a trophy, and I immediately recognized it as the trophy that I won, except that it had all its crystals placed in them. He stuck it out. "This goes to the strongest guy in Twilight Town."

"Hey, isn't that mine—"

"_Was_ yours, but since you left we had another tournament," he cut me off as he still had the trophy in his hands. "They had to replace the jewels, but I eventually won it. So I'm giving it to him."

I brought a finger to my mouth, and thought about the jewels. I placed a hand down my pocket and felt the jewel from the trophy, but I didn't take it out, since I was a bit scared that Seifer was going to take it away. Still, Sora told him that he was fine not getting the trophy, but Seifer pushed into Goofy's arms as he, Fuu and Rai left the scene. We watched as they left, and then I heard a very familiar voice. "Sora! Marie!"

I turned around and immediately saw Pence running towards us. My eyes lit up as I ran up to him, and we both did a little handshake that we shared with Hayner. "Pence! What's going on?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing. Everything is still the same, but..." He stopped to catch his breath for a moment, and then he looked at Sora with a curious look on his face. "Sora, do you know a girl named Kairi?"

"K-Kairi…! I sure do!" Sora shouted in return. Pence jumped a bit from his reply, as did Donald and Goofy, and he told us to go to the station. Pence started running ahead, with Sora right behind him. Donald and Goofy started following, and I was the last to walk. I felt a bit uneasy with the way Sora called out Kairi's name, but I'm sure it was because he hadn't seen her since last year. Yeah… I'm sure of it.

**ଓ**

We made it to the station, and I saw Hayner and Olette running towards us. I was nearly pushed down to the ground when Olette gave me a hug, and I laughed as she hugged me tighter. Hayner scratched the back of his head and when Olette finished hugging me we did our handshake. Sora walked up a bit, and looked at them three. "So, how do you guys know Kairi?" He asked.

Hayner told us that she somehow made it to Twilight Town, and was looking for Sora. He wanted to know where she was, but Hayner dropped his shoulders as he explained.

**ଓ**

_"What a romantic story!" Olette said as she brought her hands together. Kairi only smiled along with Pluto, and Pence told her that if she stayed around Sora would show up. Hayner agreed, and told her that both he and Marie said they would come back. _

_"Marie is with him, too?" she asked. They all nodded, and Kairi looked down. She was happy that the blonde was doing well, and she didn't expect anything less from a girl like her. Yet somehow, it made her feel a bit sad still, even from last year. She remembered how Marie had told her how much she loved Sora, and she knew she meant every word. Even explaining her story to Hayner, Pence and Olette had bits of how Marie came into the picture, with Olette ogling over the romance. _

_"Yeah, she stayed with us for a good while, but when Sora came she left with him," Hayner explained. She nodded, and was eager to meet Marie. Even with the hurt she was still going to keep her word on wanting to be friends with the blonde, and honestly she wanted to know how much she had changed since last year._

_"What took you so long, Kairi?" a voice was heard from the shadows. A man with spikey red, flaming hair with a black coat appeared from a portal, and he had a smirk plastered on his face. "Somewhere, I just knew you'd be here. I tell ya, Kairi, you've got a lot of guts, jumping right into the darkness like that."_

_He kept walking towards her, and easily dodged a pathetic attempt at punching from Hayner. Pence came in after, trying to protect her, but he ran through the redhead. He stood right in front of Kairi, and grabbed her arm. Olette tried to stop him, but her hand just went through him like a ghost. He dragged Kairi back into the portal, with the girl telling him to stop, and they both disappeared after Pluto ran after them. Hayner and Pence got up as they, along with Olette, watched as the portal disappeared._

**ଓ**

"Sorry...," Hayner said as he finished explaining. Sora looked down at a charm that Kairi left him, and I looked down to my feet feeling uneasy again. There was a short pause, but Sora started moving around.

"Hey, it's not your fault. C'mon, cheer up!" he said. He looked back down, and sighed as he dropped his shoulders. "Like I can even say that… I gotta help Kairi!"

He bumped into Goofy, who dropped the trophy with its jewels dropping and rolling away. Hayner, Pence and Olette picked up the other jewels, while Goofy picked up the blue one. Olette walked over to me along with Hayner and Pence, and they all looked at their jewels. "It's like the time you won the trophy," Olette said.

They all brought it up towards the sun, and Olette nudged my left rib. I took out my jewel, and I brought it up along with them. I saw Goofy and Sora do the same, and we all just stared at the glistening that came from them. I stopped looking, and along with Goofy and Donald, we saw Sora change into a completely different person. I gasped as I saw a blonde guy with spikey hair wearing bits of beige and brown, and Goofy immediately called out to him.

"Sora! Are you okay!?" he asked. Sora quickly changed back, and I had to rub my eyes to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. The jewel in his hand started glowing and it rose to the sky, and we all knew where this was going. Sora took out his keyblade and did the usual with Hayner, Pence and Olette watching.

"W-What just happened?" Pence asked. Sora told them that a new road opened up, and that Kairi and Riku were waiting for us somewhere along. They understood, and asked us if we were coming back. We promised them, and I felt Olette grab my arm as we made it to the other side of the station.

"You never told me you loved Sora!" I heard her say out loud. I quickly felt my face heat up, and I brought my hands to cover her mouth, telling her to be quiet. She started laughing when Hayner and Pence walked towards us, and they explained that Kairi had told them. "Yeah, she said how you two fell in love! It's so romantic!"

I lowered my head, now my friends think it's true. Well, it must have been for Kairi to tell them that. Still though, why couldn't I remember? I admit that I was feeling something for Sora, but it wasn't anything big, and I knew he was pretty much better off with Kairi. I sighed, and decided to just go along with it, since I knew I wouldn't hear the end of it from Olette. "Yeah… I guess it is romantic," I replied with a smile.

Olette started squealing while Hayner and Pence covered their ears. When she stopped Hayner looked at me. "He just better not screw anything up, or we'll have to teach him a lesson!"

"It'll be fine," I laughed, even if it didn't feel fine. Somehow I not remembering was leading to something horrible. I noticed Sora wasn't really all that affectionate lately, but I was still hoping he would do something—_anything _to make me not feel uneasy.

* * *

><p>Well, jeez. Kairi is officially back and though it's not intentional on her part, Sora seems to be a bit too emotional about her. I wonder what's going to happen?<p> 


	41. Computers!

**Marie and her keyblade:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-38350 2787

**Ryan:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**A\N: **  
>Yay, we're finally at Hollow Bastion. After the tron world, I think we're in the clear!<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty<strong>**-One**

**ଓ**

**Computers!**

We left Twilight Town after speaking with Hayner, Pence and Olette for a bit, since I wanted to catch up with them. I was still uneasy with Sora and Kairi, but I decided to let it slip since we had other things that needed my attention. Sora was still bummed out that she was missing along with Riku and the king, and I really didn't like him being so gloomy.

"It's okay, Sora," I said as I looked at him. I placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. "We'll find them all, you'll see. So please don't be sad anymore."

"But it's my fault they got taken away," he said as he pushed my arm off his shoulder. I stood there with my hands close to me and watched as he paced around. Ryan came walking beside me, and he seemed a bit angry. I just shrugged my shoulders and walked towards the deck, looking out onto the screen. I couldn't even help Sora calm down, but I guess he was that upset with the whole situation. I heard a beeping noise, and everyone else walked in, with Sora being the last.

"Oh no! Hollow Bastion! It's all covered in darkness!" chip said through the intercom. The image of Hollow Bastion appeared, and it was indeed covered in darkness. My eyes widened, and he told us to head to it as soon as possible. We all turned to Sora, who nodded as he ran straight to his seat. We all sat down as he went flying straight to Hollow Bastion.

**ଓ**

As we landed, I was the first to get off and I noticed there weren't a lot of people around. A couple of heartless came running up to me, and I was about to take out my keyblade when they all disappeared. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Ryan came running in after, noting at how there were more heartless around. We stopped talking when we saw nobodies floating around too, and I was getting suspicious. I turned around to face the rest as I spoke.

"Let's go check in with everyone." Goofy told me that everyone was probably hanging out at Merlin's and I nodded. We made our way through the market, making sure to be on our guard. We stopped when we saw someone, and I had a little smile when it was Cloud. We walked up to him leaning on the wall, and I called out his name. "Hey, Cloud!"

"Whatcha doing?" Donald asked after I spoke. He didn't look up from the ground, and just told us how he was going to settle the score with the darkness in his heart—or Sephiroth. There was a small silence that filled the area and Donald just laughed a bit nervously. "I thought there was something different with you, Cloud."

"Tell me if you see him," he replied. We agreed, and Sora told him we had to leave. He got off from the wall, and told us to be careful. "He messes with your head, makes you think darkness is the only way."

"Is something wrong?" I turned around and met with Aerith. My smile got bigger, but I noticed that she wasn't looking at us. She was looking at Cloud, and started walking towards him. He told her it was nothing, and that he didn't want her involved, but Aerith didn't seem convinced. "You mean you don't want me there when you go away again?"

"I just—"he stopped to close his eyes for a moment, and then looked back at Aerith. "Listen, even if I go far away, I'll come back."

She asked him if he meant it, and he looked away as he told her yes. She wasn't convinced, but after thinking it through she smiled. "Okay, go. Get things settled. No matter how far away you are… once you find your light... I'm sure it will lead you back here again. Right?"

"I suppose."

"So I'll stay here—and I'll cheer for you—okay, Cloud?" she said. He agreed, and started walking down the stairs. Aerith wondered if he would be okay, and Sora assured her that he had some light somewhere in him. I walked up to Aerith, who turned to me. She gave a bright smile and gave me a hug, and I giggled as she did. Her hugs always seemed the warmest, mainly because Aerith was such a sweet woman. She let go and looked at everyone else. "I think Cid had some news for you guys, he's down by Merlin's."

She walked away with a wave, and we all headed towards Merlin's. Ryan walked by my side, and he asked if Aerith was single. I rolled my eyes, and told him that even if she was, I don't think it would work between them. They were from different worlds, and I really don't think Ryan would give everything up to be with a girl he _just_ knew. He laughed and agreed, and told me that he was still hung up on Selphie. I wondered how he even felt about her.

"I dunno, but I really like how she doesn't treat me any different," he said. He placed his hands in his pockets and looked up at the sky. "I don't know if she likes me back, but she's caring on one hand and a total fun girl to just hang out with."

"Maybe that's her way of liking you," I replied. I looked down to the ground, I don't know if I'm such a great candidate to be talking about this stuff, but I wanted to see Ryan happy. I mean, it sounded like everyone in the hill family was everything but happy. I sighed. "I'm not the greatest at these sorts of things, but I think you should talk and tell her how you feel."

"When you start loving Sora, I'll do it," he said as he started running to Merlin's house. I stuck out my hand as he did, and I was going to speak until Donald and Goofy came by my side.

"Gawrsh, are you okay, Marie?" Goofy asked. I turned my head to them and wondered where Sora was, but I saw him running towards Merlin's house along with Ryan. I sighed, and told them I was fine.

"Really, cause you don't look it," Donald said. "You've been too quiet throughout the whole journey, but you're quieter ever since we visited Twilight Town."

"I just feel a bit uneasy, I'm not sure why, but I just do." That was a lie, I did know, but I didn't want them worrying about me. I don't want anyone worrying about me—I just want to go home and be running around and do what teenagers do, not worry about my powers, or Stella or fighting heartless and nobodies. I feel like I'm at my end with this heroic stuff—I'm not cut out for this! I want to protect what I feel like protecting, and I know that sounds selfish, but I'm useless in everything else. Sora is the wielder of a keyblade and can unlock doors and paths while I can't. Riku is a really strong guy who can do what I do ten times better and Kairi is a beautiful princess of light! Where do I fit in all of this? I should've just stayed in that coma. I shook my head and looked towards Donald and Goofy as I smiled. "I'll be fine though, don't worry."

I walked ahead of them, and caught them scratching their heads with the corner of my eye. I sighed a bit, and walked through Merlin's door. Everyone was inside by now, and we saw Cid hacking away on a computer with Yuffie standing by him. She gasped when she saw us, which made Cid turn around.

"Hey, guys—you're just in time," he said. He had some good news for us and that we should head over to Leon's. Sora asked him what they were.

"We found the computer Ansem was using!" Yuffie shouted. My head perked up, and I looked at them both. The computer ansy was using? Cid explained that it should be able to get all kinds of info on the Heartless and the Organization.

"And maybe something on the dark realm, too?" Sora asked. "It looks like that's where Riku and Kairi are."

Donald added the king, and Cid told us we needed to head there as soon as possible. We needed to get to the computer room through the castle postern. He spat out the toothpick he had and took out a new one as he placed it in his mouth. "It might also help you try to get your memories back if you go there too, Marie."

"Me?" I asked. He nodded, and told me that since I was the closest to Ansem, he might've relayed some important information to me. I was a bit skeptic, mainly because I knew Ansem and I were close, but I don't know if he trusted me enough to give out really important stuff. But it could probably help me get my memory back. "Okay, I'll go. If I find anything out I'll tell you guys."

They nodded, and we all walked out of Merlin's place. Ryan seemed really happy, and I wondered why. He walked up in front of us, and took off his cap to brush through his hair. "Man, this'll be cool! What if you actually get your memory back?"

"I'm not really sure, it sounds too far-fetched," I replied. "But it would be nice if it helped me. I wonder what I've been missing… remembering things I forgot."

"I'm curious, too! What if you remember a big secret plan Ansem told you?" Goofy said. I raised my eyebrow and laughed at his comment. Donald seemed just as interested, and wondered if I would remember if this place had treasures or not. I scratched my head and looked at Sora, he seemed a bit different, but when he caught me looking at him he gave a big smile. I smiled back, though not as big as his, and wondered what it would mean to us if I remembered.

We made it to the bailey, but we were stopped when we heard a lady ask us if we were with the restoration committee. We turned around, but we didn't see anyone. We looked at each other in confusion, but then a couple of tiny fairies appeared in front of us. "What's Leon's gang up to?" the fairy in the middle asked.

"They've got stuff to do over by the castle postern," Sora replied. I took a closer look at them. The one in the middle had short brown hair with one eye green and the other blue. She was wearing a white top with a pink hoodie, and a blue skirt with a…cloth? Hanging down by it. It was white and blue. She also had blue boots. The one beside her had blonde hair with green eyes, and she had a yellow faded into orange scarf. She was wearing an orange skirt with white stocking and white and blue boots, and a yellow tank top. The one left of the one in the middle had silver hair and red eyes, and she had bat wings and was dressed in all black with a couple of red belts.

"Scoop!" the orange one said. The one in black told them they needed to report, and we were confused. Donald asked who they were reporting to, and the one in the middle told them they were reporting to their leader. "Yeah, you know. Male—"

The one in black covered the orange one's mouth, and she muffled some words and screamed a bit, but she calmed down. "Don't mind her. I assure you, we come in peace," she said. They disappeared after apologizing, and we just stood there scratching our heads.

"Uh, let's keep going," Ryan said. We all agreed, and continued walking past the bailey. When we made it past, I stopped as I looked up towards the castle. It was definitely different from last year, but it was coming along nicely. We continued our way towards it.

**ଓ**

"Over here!" Aerith said as she called us over. We entered the castle, and she confirmed about finding Ansem's computer. "The king is very interested in it."

"The king?" Donald asked. Aerith told them that he was inside with Leon, and Donald and Goofy were beyond ecstatic, because they would be able to see the king. I heard Sora ask if Riku was with them, but Aerith just shook her head. He was obviously disappointed, but didn't lose hope. He told her that the computer would be able to tell them something, and she agreed. She told us that he was past the door down the stairs, and we looked ahead. She walked away, saying she needed to catch up on Yuffie and Cid.

When we entered the room, it was a narrow hallway. The layout was very familiar to me, and Donald asked if I remembered how the castle looked. I sighed. "From the outside, but the inside is still a bit hazy."

Nonetheless, we continued walking and I was eventually leading the way. I don't know how—maybe it was my subconscious—but I eventually lead them to a wide-opened space, and there was another narrow hallway leading to a door. We walked through it and it looked like an office, there was a picture of a man—the man who told us he was Ansem. I walked up to it, and I really wanted to punch it. This man was an imposter and even though I couldn't remember how the real Ansem looked like, I knew this wasn't him.

"This must be his office," Goofy suggested. I scoffed at it, and didn't even want to be in the room with that picture hanging. Donald wondered where the king was, and Sora called out to see if anyone would respond.

"Hey, you," we heard a woman call. We turned towards the door and a tall, beautiful looking woman with dark brown hair and red eyes looked at us. Ryan's jaw dropped, and he was about to try and woo her, but I pulled him back. "I'm looking for somebody. Have any of you seen a guy with spikey hair?"

We all immediately looked at Sora, who touched his own, spikey hair. I raised my eyebrow and wondered if she was looking for him, but she chuckled and told us he had spikier hair. We all shrugged and told her no, and she went ahead and looked around. She knocked on the walls, checked the desk, looked around the bookshelves, and went back to examining the wall. She eventually stopped, and suddenly kicked the wall, which made us tremble a bit. She turned around, and smiled. "Sorry to bother you."

"No bother, ma'am!" Sora, Donald, Goofy _and_ Ryan said as they stood still with their arms straight by their sides. I chuckled and let my feminine side bask in the fact that they were all scared of this woman, but I have to admit, she seemed really strong. She closed the door, and the guys sighed.

"So you made it," we heard Leon say behind us. He was leaning against the wall, and got up from it as he looked at us. We asked if the king was with him, but he quickly brought a finger to his mouth and told us to be quiet. "You'll seem him soon enough. Here, this ought to tide you over."

He turned around and touched the wall and it disappeared into a pathway, and he started walking into it. We followed along and he told us that it was Ansem's computer room, and I was a bit anxious to see it. When we entered, there was a giant computer in the room, and Sora ran to it with Donald and Goofy.

"This is it! Where's Kairi? Where's Riku?" he said as he tried typing in some buttons. When nothing appeared he smacked the keyboard, and I raised my eyebrow. Clearly he isn't tech savvy.

"Easy, you wanna break it?" my thoughts exactly, Leon. He came in and stood beside Ryan and I. Sora turned around and apologized, saying he got a little carried away. Goofy screamed when he looked up, and when we did we saw a little blue guy climbing up on the ceiling. He jumped down right on the keyboard, and we all gasped—who was this little guy? Donald told him to get off and jumped on the keyboard, with the little guy running off. He turned around, and we heard alarms go off.

_"Attention current user. This is a warning. Further misuse of this terminal will result in immediate defensive action."_

"Who's there?" Sora asked.

_"I am the Master Control Program. I oversee this system."_

"Where are you?" Sora asked. Donald looked at the computer screen and then at everything else. We were on our toes, simply because he was on the keyboard. He took one step forward, and the alarms went off.

"Donald!" we all shouted. Leon face palmed the duck while everyone else grew annoyed. Donald apologized, and the computer started talking.

_"Decision gate reached. You are now under arrest."_

Ryan and I maintained our position, while everyone else panicked. A light appeared from behind the computer, and Leon, Ryan and I noticed. Leon quickly told Sora, Goofy and Donald to run, but it was too late. A laser light pointed at all three of them, and they started pixelating away.

"Sora!" I cried out. I ran up to them, but Leon held me back. The light started getting brighter and when they disappeared it faded.

"Wait! Donald! Goofy!"

* * *

><p>Okay, so we're still a chapter or two short of the thousand heartless battles, but we're getting there! Hey look! Marie and Ryan weren't sucked into the computer, I wonder what this means?<p> 


	42. Tron-A-Fide

**Marie and her keyblade:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-38350 2787

**Ryan:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**A\N: **  
>Now we're at the tron world, and since Marie didn't go along, we'll see her interact with someone from her past!<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty<strong>**-Two**

**ଓ**

**Tron-a-fide**

Sora got up from his little nap, and looked around. He noticed everything was in neon colors, and wondered were he even was. Before he could think any farther, he heard Donald and Goofy call out his name. He turned around, and saw them walking with their hands up being surrounded by heartless. Sora told them to fight back, but then another figure appeared, and it was a human looking guy in a red and white outfit.

"Who're you?" Sora asked. The man introduced himself as Commander Sark, and Sora mocked the idea of a heartless commander. The man was peeved, and told him to watch. A light lit in his hand, and it electrocuted both Donald and Goofy. Sora gasped, and looked back at the man. "Okay, you're the boss! I get it."

The man smirked, and brought Sora, Donald and Goofy to a jail cell. Sora wondered what kind of world they were in, and a voice explained it to them. "You're inside a mainframe computer system—for processing data. This system is a copy of one created by a corporation called ENCOM. The original program was destroyed. But this copy was acquired by another user."

"The new User updated and customized the programs, renaming the system 'Hollow Bastion OS'. He used the system for town maintenance, and to advance his private research," the man said. He placed his hand on his chest. "My name is Tron, I'm a security program. But now I'm under arrest, same as you."

…

…

"Did you guys get any of that?" Sora asked Donald and Goofy, who seemed just at dumbstruck at the teen. Goofy told them they should just introduce themselves, and Sora agreed. "I'm Sora."

"And I'm Donald."

"Nice to meet'cha, Tron. I'm Goofy."

"With that configuration, you must be Users," he replied. Sora and the other two were still a bit slow on understanding, but Tron told them that they should get out of the place, not wanting to know what the MCP would do to them. Sora asked what that was, and Tron explained, "The Master Control Program. It controls the whole system. If you idle here, you will be de-rezzed."

"De-rezzed!?" Donald shouted. They didn't like the sound of that, and Sora asked him how they could get out. He told them that the terminal in the room could've gotten them out, but the MCP killed the power '50 microcycles ago'.

"If we could bring the energy core in the canyon online, we could power it back up," Tron explained. "The problem is—we're stuck in this cell. We're not going anywhere unless we unlock the energy fields."

They were still trying to understand, but Sora took out his keyblade. He figured maybe it had something to do with the heartless, and hoped his keyblade would help. He looked around, and upon inspection he noticed Marie wasn't with them.

"Hey, you guys, where's Marie?" he asked. They looked around and noticed she wasn't with them either, and they shrugged.

"Gawrsh, maybe she didn't get dragged in here like we did," said Goofy. Sora sighed, and knew they really could've used her help with understanding some of the language Tron used. She wasn't as advanced on the computer, but she knew a thing or two. Even so, he was still worried about her not being with him.

"I hope she's okay…"

**ଓ**

**Marie**

I looked at the computer screen and tried typing in some words, but all I got was a beep. I puffed my cheeks, and Leon told me that I probably shouldn't mess around on the computer anymore. I was worried about the guys though, so I needed to know what they were doing and if they were alright. I sighed. "I hope they're okay…"

"Knowing them, they probably are," Leon assured me. I sighed again, and Ryan came walking up beside me and looked at the computer. He pressed one button and a beep was heard. He raised his hands in the air and decided to stop. I looked around, and didn't even know what to do.

"What should we do?" I asked Leon. He placed a finger on his chin and thought for a moment. He said it would be nice to have someone check out the area since the amount of heartless and nobodies started rising, and that he needed someone in the computer room to help him out with the computer. I nodded. "Alright, I'll check out the area and Ryan will stay here."

Leon nodded and both he and Ryan told me to be careful. I smiled and went off towards the streets, making sure everything seemed in order.

**ଓ**

**Sora**

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Tron managed to escape the prison cell, and Tron was even impressed with the power that Sora had. He agreed to go with them to the canyon since he was able to interfere with the energy core, and Sora didn't understand much of what he said, but he was glad. They walked on top of a disc, and it helped them across to the next location. They noticed the computer in the middle of the room and walked towards it, with Tron explaining that it was the energy core.

They needed to find some parts missing from the core, and they did a bit of scouting but they found the parts. Sora used his keyblade to lift them up and place them in their correct positions. The energy core, which was just a giant statue with a light appearing in the middle, started falling through the ground. Once it fell, a clicking noise was heard, and the floor lit up.

"Mission accomplished?" Sora asked. Tron nodded, but asked if they could do something for him. They were quick to agree, and Tron was amazed at how quick they were. He spat out some tech language that they didn't understand, but then told them they needed to head back to the pit cell.

Once there, Tron started hacking away at the computer, and Sora asked what he wanted them to do. Tron got up and turned around. "Find my User. He'll give you the password to access the DTD."

"So, um…" Sora said, not sure how to ask his question. Tron just looked at him, and told him that DTD was the name his User gave to the data space. Copies of all the original system programs were stored there, along with anything that was sensitive or restricted.

"Is there stuff about the Heartless, or Organization XIII?" Goofy asked. Tron told them that there could be, but he wasn't sure. A lot of his abilities where taken away when he last faced the MCP, so he needed that password. If he accessed it, he would be able to get his original backup program and restore his functions. He wanted to change the system to the way it was supposed to be—a free system for the Users.

"Okay, we'll just have to find your user and ask him," Sora said as he looked at Tron. "What's his name?"

"You mean you don't know?" Tron said as he looked back at them. "My user is the user of this system: Ansem the wise."

"Ansem!?" they all called out. The terminal started acting up, and Tron told them that the MCP was on to them, and told them to hurry. Sora scratched his head and stared at him. "Sure… but Tron, Ansem is…"

"We'll get ya the password!" Donald shouted. Tron fixed up the terminal again, and told them to hurry. They all stood in front of the thing, and it zapped them back to the room.

**ଓ**

Ryan and Leon tried pressing a couple of buttons and wrote a bunch of words to uncover the files from the computer, but nothing seemed to work. They heard a noise, and when they turned around they saw Sora, Donald and Goofy appear from the device behind them. They all cheered when they realized they were back at Hollow Bastion, and both Ryan and Leon were beyond shocked to see them.

"Where did you go?" Leon asked.

"Well, uh…" Sora began. "There's a… word inside this computer, where these, um… programs live and…"

**ଓ**

"So in other words…" Leon started. "Ansem's research data is off-limits unless we know the password."

Sora nodded, but Leon mentioned that they had already defeated Ansem. Goofy wondered if they would ever find the password, and Leon pretty much called everything a wild goose chase. Ryan sighed, and then they heard a voice by the door.

"You're chasing what, now?" The boys knew that voice, since it belonged to the scary woman who kicked the wall in Ansem's office. "Well, well, a hidden room! Guess I'd better take another look around."

She walked back outside, and Sora, Donald, Goofy and Ryan followed her. She tore down books, cabinets, and almost anything there was to tear down. Sora just placed his hands behind his back as he watched how relentless she was in her search. They made a promise to Tron though, so they needed to look around as well. They all stopped when she looked at the painting, and they stood behind her and she looked at it.

"Excuse me," she said as she lifted down the painting. It was a huge painting, and they were even surprised at how strong she was to take it down. Behind it was a wall of words, but she didn't care about that. She punched the wall, and waited for something to happen. When nothing did, she sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

The rest of the guys walked up to the wall, and Sora asked about the doodle. Donald read the words. "Hollow… main…security… Tron…door to…"

"Looks like a diagram or something," Goofy said.

"Door… to… darkness?" Donald read out loud. It was then that they realized what DTD meant for: Door to Darkness. Leon walked in and asked them what was going on, and Sora pointed at the diagram. He was sure it was the data space, and Leon walked up to it. They still needed the password, and then a voice was heard.

"Say, fellas, did somebody mention the Door to Darkness?" they all turned around and were met with the king himself! Sora, Donald and Goofy all called out his name, but he quickly brought a finger to his mouth, indicating them to be quiet. He quickly looked around, and closed the door behind him. When he turned back, he was greeted with a hug from both Donald and Goofy. Sora called his name, but he told them to keep quiet. "The organization might be listening. You mentioned the door to darkness?"

"Uh, yes, sir!" Goofy said as he and Donald stood in their soldier positions. He told them that they needed a password, and Mickey told them that the door to darkness could only be opened by the seven princesses.

"There's Snow White, Jasmine, and Belle," Mickey said. Leon recalled the names, and went back to the computer with Ryan. Mickey turned to the rest of them. "What're you tryin' to do?"

"With that password, we can get access to Ansem's research data," Sora explained. Mickey gasped, and told them they would be able to find out where Ansem was. Sora laughed, "Stop joking around, your majesty. We already defeated Ansem. You know that."

"Looks like I've got a lot of explaining to do," Mickey said. They were all ears, but Sora wanted to ask a question. Leon came back, and told them they still had to help Tron. They looked back at Leon to Mickey, but the king told them he was staying for a while. He looked around though, and noticed something. "Where's Marie?"

"Uh, that's a good question," Goofy asked. Sora looked around, and was feeling a bit panicked that she wasn't even in the castle, but Ryan came in and explained that she was just checking out the area and making sure everything seemed normal. Sora didn't like how that sounded.

"All by herself?" he asked. He started to worry, but the king laughed.

"Don't worry, Sora," he assured him. "She's a strong girl, but I think she's just lost. If she's not here by the time you get back we'll look for her, since she needs to hear what I'll explain to you guys."

Sora nodded, but still felt worried about her. They hadn't been talking a lot, but it was because he was getting worried about Riku, and now that Kairi was getting mixed up in all of this, he was getting worried that his friends were getting deeper into this mess. He sighed, and ultimately agreed. He, Donald and Goofy all ran back to the computer and zapped back into the mainframe.

**ଓ**

**Marie**

I walked along the streets of Hollow Bastion, and made sure nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I was actually enjoying this little walk, since I had time to just think things over. I even started humming a random tune, and was about to start skipping when I heard a noise behind me. I gasped lightly and took out my keyblade. "Who's there?"

I waited for a while, and I eventually saw someone walking out of the shadows. I kept my composure, and the person I saw coming out just made me felt a little weak in the knees. This guy was one of the Organization members, and I tightened my grip on the keyblade. He walked out with his hands in the air, and his hair was a fiery red that was spiked, and his eyes were a bright shade of emerald. The amount of feelings and familiarity I got from this guy was huge, and somehow I didn't feel like pointing my keyblade at him.

"S-Stop," I said, failing at sounding intimidating. "I know you work for Organization XIII, so don't pull any stunts."

"Did you forget who I am?" he asked. He still had his hands in the air, and I wanted to put my keyblade away but I knew these guys were dangerous. He looked at me, and I was sure I knew him but… I found myself saying that a lot with these guys. He smiled, and just stared. "The names Axel, got it memorized?"

"Axel…? You're the guy the other Organization XIII members are looking for!" I shouted. "If you're not working in their interest, then I shouldn't be your target!"

"You're right, I'm not trying to kidnap you," he said. I still held onto my keyblade, and he lowered his hands. "I just wanted to talk to a friend."

"Friend…? We're friends?" I asked. He nodded and asked me if I knew him at all. I shook my head, but it was killing how familiar he felt. "I don't know you, but I get the feeling I _did_ know you. But not like this…"

"Yea, you didn't know me like this," he replied. "You knew me as someone else. Do you remember someone named Lea?"

"Lea?"

**ଓ**

**Sora**

When Sora and the other two got back into the data world, Goofy walked up to the terminal and wondered where Tron was. The terminal screen fizzled, and Sora told them they shouldn't be touching it. Almost immediately, they were zapped out of the pit room, and into a different place. They looked around and noticed they were in a giant opened space, and then they heard the voice of Sark.

"Welcome to the game grid," he said. Sora repeated the word, and Sark explained, "That's right, you've been chosen to play a few games. Lose, and you will be subject to immediate de-resolution. Win? Well... no one wins."

He chuckled at the last bit, and Donald didn't want to play any games. They had no choice, and Sora just agreed to it, as annoyed as he was. They entered a game called 'light cycle' and it was basically defeating heartless while riding a motorcycle. He wasn't allowed to hit any walls, and had to defeat all of the heartless. He got them down no problem, and a giant heartless fired a laser before Sora got rid of it. It created a hole through the open space, giving them something to escape through. Sora mounted on the bike again, and got rid of the heartless before driving around and looking for the exit.

It took him a great while to find the exit, mainly because it kept being blocked off, but after fighting some heartless, and trying not to crash into the walls he found it. He, Donald and Goofy were immediately zapped back to the pit cell, and they sighed in relief—that was a close one. They saw Tron lying on the floor, and quickly ran up to him.

"I don't understand, why are you all here?" he asked. Sora told him it was to give the password, and Tron shook his head. "Why didn't you just transmit the data?"

"Transmit?" Donald asked. Tron was about to fall, but Sora was able to catch him in time. He asked if he was alright, and Tron told him he would once they accessed the DTD. Once he was well on his own, they started making their way out of the pit cell. They made their way into the actual data space, and saw a giant computer with a giant screen in the middle of it. Tron walked up to it and turned it on.

"Alright, what's the password?" he asked. They started saying the names of the princesses, and when he wrote the last one the screen started glowing. The password seemed to work, and Tron was excited.

_"Now switching DTD over hibernation to active mode. This process will take some time. Please enjoy a game while the process is running."_

"Oh, no!" Tron shouted. Sora didn't want to go through another game, but Tron told them that it was the DTD's final security routine. "This isn't a game. Stay focused!"

A couple of heartless and monitors appeared, and they needed to get rid of them all. Sora worked on one monitor while Tron worked on the second. Donald and Goofy worked on the third one, and they hoped to get it done quickly this way.

**ଓ**

**Marie**

It was weird. Who knew a single name could bring back so much about someone, and I was really surprised at how much I knew about Lea—or Axel, as he preferred to be called. I had willed my keyblade away, and I just stood there as I stared at this man who I was friends with a long time ago.

"Wow, I-I didn't even know I could remember that much," I said as I brought a hand to my forehead. It was hurting a bit, but it was bearable. I looked over to Axel, who had a slight smile on his face, and I brought my hand down to my side. "Lea, what are you doing? This isn't you."

"Yeah, it isn't—it's Axel," he replied. I looked away, getting to where he was taking all of this. He laughed though, and told me to cheer up. I really couldn't, not with what was happening to my friend. I really felt bad for Axel.

"We can bring you back the way you were," I said as I brought my hand close to my chest. "You don't have to be our enemy! _I_ don't want you to be your enemy."

"Yeah, well, things don't always end up the way they are," he said. "But this right here, I'm glad it happened. You know, I wondered what happened to you after this place got eaten up."

"Well, if you guys are out looking for me, you'd know," I said. He chuckled and nodded, of course he knew. They all knew. "Axel… why did you join Organization XIII?"

"I guess it was a pretty cool place, since, you know, a lot of other nobodies were there," he said. "A lot of them you know, since they pretty much came from this place."

"I can't remember much," I admitted. "I think it's something I fight everyday, but my memory has always been something to worry about. I just want it to stop, so I wouldn't have to forget about you or anyone else important to me."

"Heh, I'm important to you? I'm flattered." I crossed my arms and puffed my cheeks, and he waved his hands about. I smiled at him, and I was glad for this meeting. I knew it wouldn't last forever, and I had to think logically about all this. Axel was still my enemy, even if I didn't want him to. I _was_ curious about one thing.

"Axel, why do you want to turn Sora into a Heartless?" I asked. He scratched the back of his head, and told me about it having to do with his nobody. I was surprised Sora even had one, and that was really all Axel could let out. I got even more curious. "Axel, do I… have a Nobody?"

"…Yeah," he replied. My eyes widened, so I really do have one! I asked him what her name was, but he got a bit hesitant. "I think its best you don't know for now; I think she'd kill me."

I raised my eyebrow, but I guess I could understand. I wonder how she was like, and I had to at least ask him that. "Can you tell me how she's like, at least?"

"She's…"

**ଓ**

**Sora**

After getting all the monitors back to normal, and defeating the remaining heartless, Tron got back to the computer screen. He placed his hand on the identifier, and it gave him all of his abilities back. "I'm as good as new! Al my functions have been restored!"

They were all glad, and right when they were about to celebrate, a light zapped the floor they were on, and they all managed to dodge it. Tron looked around, and turned to the computer when he heard a voice.

"Finally! I have full access to the DTD," the voice said. "My takeover of the system is now complete. I might have anticipated such a simple password. What's this? An emergency destruct program for the town. Let's see how it performs."

"No!" Tron shouted. He turned back to the program and inputted some codes. He changed the password, and turned to Sora, Donald and Goofy. "There, that should buy us some time."

"Tron! Tell us what's going on!" Sora asked. Tron explained that the MCP was going to upload a hostile program into the I/O tower. Donald asked what they should do, and Tron told them they needed to protect the User town. They understood that much—'protect'—and made their way to the I/O tower.

They took a disc to get there, and when they reached the tower they made their way towards the communications room. They saw darkness surrounding a light at the bottom of the room, and Tron imagined it must be total chaos outside of their world. They ran back outside the hallway, and saw a heartless floating down towards them.

"I'm disappointed in you, program," the MCP called out. "Why do you insist on allying with these selfish Users?"

"Because I want to help them," he explained. "Something written into my code commands me to do what is right."

The MCP chuckled, and mocked him by asking him what command would do that. Tron didn't know, but Sora told him that is was the power of friendship. They helped each other when they needed it, and both Donald and Goofy nodded. They looked back towards the heartless floating in the air, and it lowered as it brought forth a barrier around them so they would escape. Sora, Donald and Goofy brought out their weapons, and Tron took out his disc. They prepared as they fought the heartless before them.

**ଓ**

**Marie**

"She's a lot like you, but at the same time, completely different," he explained. "She can be nice and caring, but when she gets angry it's a really scary sight. She changed a lot after she left Organization XIII, and she definitely developed a no-nonsense attitude, and she rarely smiles. I know deep down though she's still the same person she was from the start."

I listened as Axel explained this girl to me, and I laughed a bit as he did. She seemed like a handful, and I was surprised to know that she came from _me._ The way Axel described her made me think he really, genuinely cares for her, and I couldn't imagine a better friend for her than him. I smiled as he finished. "She seems like a lot to handle, and a really difficult person."

"Yeah, but sometimes ya just gotta be patient with these things," he told me. I chuckled as I looked away. He was right—you gotta be patient, like how I had to be patient with Sora and Kairi. Maybe I was jumping to conclusions? But if I wasn't, I'd still have to be patient. If Sora and I were meant to be together then it'd happen either way. You just… gotta be patient. My face started heating up, why was I thinking like this? I shook my head, and looked at Axel.

"I hope, that when this is all over, we can start from where we left off," I told him. I meant every word of that, since Lea was a friend I had besides Ansem and aqua, though I couldn't remember how those two looked at the moment. There was another friend of Lea, who wasn't always friendly or nice, but passed a few good words to me. I just couldn't remember, and I didn't want to ask Axel. I wanted to figure it on my own.

"I think I should go," he said. I looked at him and I nodded, staying with Axel for too long could attract unwanted attention, and it was something I wasn't willing to risk. I couldn't leave without doing one thing though, and I ran up to Axel as I gave him a hug. He flinched in return, but I just dug my face in his coat.

"Don't do anything reckless, please?" I asked as I looked up. He smiled and patted my head. I let go of the hug, and he waved goodbye as he disappeared through his portal. I brought my hand close to my chest, and just watched as he disappeared. I sighed, and started heading my way back to the castle. I felt a slight shake, almost like an earthquake, and wondered what was going on.

**ଓ**

**Sora**

After defeating the heartless program, it broke apart. Tron, Sora and the other two made their way back to the communications room, and Tron worked his magic on the terminal there. As he typed, he told Sora that he really owed him.

"With all my functions up and running, I think I've got a chance of getting system control away from the MCP," he explained. "Now I'd better get to work. It's what my User would want."

"What Ansem would want…," Sora repeated. He looked back at Donald and Goofy, who nodded as a sign that he should tell Tron about the guy. He looked back at him, and explained. "Listen, Tron. We didn't get the password from Ansem; we just sort of found it, back in the User world—by accident. And one more thing…Ansem—he was our enemy. I mean… he still is… I guess."

"Well, actually… He's my enemy, too," Tron started. Sora asked him what he meant, and he turned to the three and explained his situation. "Ansem took ENCOM's original system and customized it for his own use. I was part of the original system, and Ansem modified me, too. So that makes him my User. But Ansem is also the one who brought back the MCP. The Ansem I first knew wouldn't do that, I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

It was fine by Sora, but he just grew even more confused about the whole Ansem situiation. Tron didn't get it either, but he told Sora that Users like him would figure it out, since they were able to think illogically and still head towards the answers they look for. "Now go—before the MCP starts acting up again!" he told them.

Sora, Donald and Goofy all stood by the terminal and Tron explained that any data they needed could be accessed from the DTD through the computer back at the lab, and Tron zapped them back to the computer lab. As he did, he told them the new password. When they came back to the lab, Leon greeted them back.

"Look," Leon told them. They stared at the screen and saw pixelated versions of themselves waving back at them with a 'thank you' sign underneath them. "So, where do we start?"

Sora told them they should access the DTD, and Leon walked up to the computer. Ryan stood next to him as he typed in some codes, and Leon explained that Ryan and Mickey were checking the situation in town, and that they'd be back so they wouldn't worry. He stopped pressing buttons, and told them the computer was asking for a password. They told him it was their names—Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"That's… to the point," Leon said. Sora asked how it was going, and they were in. "I have to go into town. Need to see what that last shakeup did."

"You're not gonna check out the data? It wasn't exactly easy to get!"

"I'm coming right back," Leon told Sora. "Hey, Sora—why don't you get started on loading the data and copying it down?"

When Sora gave him a look, Leon raised his eyebrow, and just patted his back, saying it would be easy—all he needed to do was press some keystrokes. He left the room, and the gang looked at the computer. Sora pushed a couple of buttons, and it started doing something. Goofy told him that it wanted to know what they wanted to know, and Sora typed in Riku and Kairi's name. The data error sigh appeared, and Sora sighed.

"No way… even Ansem's computer doesn't know…," Sora sighed and walked away. Goofy felt bad, and tried pressing some buttons on the screen. Donald asked what he was doing, and Goofy explained he would ask the computer about the Nobodies. He pressed a couple more buttons, and surprisingly something appeared on the screen.

_"The data is corrupt."_

"How about the Organization?" Goofy asked as he typed in a couple of buttons. It started looking through its files, but it said the same thing—that the data was corrupt.

"Stupid computer!" Sora shouted. He started smacking the keyboard with his fists, and Goofy tried telling him to stop. When he stopped, a picture of a blonde man with red eyes appeared. He was wearing a red scarf and the usual lab coat. "Who's this guy?"

"Welp, I see you got things workin'!"They gang turned around and greeted the king, but he told them to quiet down. He walked further in and explained how he left Ryan with Yuffie and Aerith, and looked at the screen. "The computer should tell us the things we need to know."

Goofy explained that the computer kept saying the information was all corrupted, and Sora told him that all they got was a picture of some guy they didn't know. Before anyone could say anything, they heard a gasp. They looked towards the door, and it was Marie rushing inside the room to look at the picture.

"Ansem!?"

* * *

><p>Yay finished with the Tron world! Now we get to the good stuff. It was a little sweet seeing Marie talk with Axel, but she knows that he is the enemy. She got to know a little about Aura, and she knows that if she and Sora were meant to be, she just had to be patient. She's starting to like him, and it seems her memory is coming back somewhat.<p> 


	43. Thousand Heartless Battles

**Marie and her keyblade:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-38350 2787

**Ryan:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**A\N: **  
>We are past the Tron world and now we are actually getting into the 'everyone loses their shit' phase. I hope it turns out as awesome as it is in my head when I picture it! During these couple of chapters, I'll be writing in 3rd after this first bit, just to capture the feel of it all.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty<strong>**-Three**

**ଓ**

**Thousand heartless battles **

"Ansem!?" I cried out when I looked at the picture. I ran up to it and looked at it a bit closer. There was no doubt—the image was growing clearer in my head. This was the Ansem I knew and loved, not that imposter trying to be him.

"Yes, that's Ansem the wise!" Mickey explained. I heard Sora asking if the king was teasing him, and Donald asked if he was sure if he remembered Ansem. "Of course I do! And this is him! I'm positive."

I didn't bother answering or backing the king up, since my mind was going elsewhere. I was remembering this man and all that I shared with him. He was like family to me, and it was a little hard to not to cry. I heard footsteps fading and I saw Sora, Donald and Goofy drag the king somewhere else. I looked back at the picture, and just ended up crying.

**ଓ**

**3rd p.o.v**

Sora brought the king back out into the office and pointed at the picture on the wall; he told him that the man in it was Ansem. "You know, the guy we all worked reeeally hard to defeat?"

"Oh, that's right—I never finished explaining," the king replied. They all wondered what he meant, and the king continued. "Well, the man in the picture is definitely the one who tried to take over Kingdom Hearts—the one you fellas defeated. But, what you actually fought was his Heartless. Ya see, he wasn't really Ansem, he just went around telling everybody that he was."

"You mean…"

It took a moment to let it sink in, and they all scream in confusion. And Sora looked at the king. "You mean we went through all that trouble to defeat an imposter?"

"Yep! Don't you guys know? Even Marie tried telling you guys he was a fake," the king explained. "But he still had to be stopped."

"Uh, I'm kinda confused," Goofy said. "If he's a fake, then what happened to the real Ansem?"

"Welp, that's just what I'm tryin' to figure out," Mickey explained. "Ansem the wise should know all about Organization XIII's plans, how Marie is involved with them, and what's been happening to the worlds. I'm pretty sure he'll give us some help."

Goofy asked if there was a Nobody created along with the Heartless, and Mickey told them that there was, and that he was currently the leader of Organization XIII. They were all shocked again, and Mickey told them that he had met this Ansem before, but couldn't remember it. "Ansem the wise—the real Ansem—must know the imposter's true identity. That's why I got to find him and ask him about it."

"Well, what about Marie? How is she involved in all this?" asked Sora.

"She knew the real Ansem when she was just a little girl, which means she might know some stuff," Mickey started. "He probably knows that she's connected to Kingdom Hearts, too. If I could just figure out all of the little in between stuff, maybe there'd be more about Marie that we didn't already know."

It was confusing beyond all, and the only people who really knew about it all was either missing, or lost most of their memory because of it. It was a frustrating situation to be in, and Mickey couldn't help but recall the meeting he had with the woman inside Kingdom Hearts. He wanted to ask Marie about it, but he knew it was better to leave her alone for a while as she gathered her thoughts about Ansem's image.

Sora asked the king if he had seen Riku, and Mickey lowered his shoulders as he couldn't help him. Sora asked more into it, but Mickey just couldn't answer. Sora asked him about Kairi, and told him that he feared Organization XIII might've kidnapped her. Mickey turned around and was surprised about that news, and he knew what he had to do.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy," he started. "I know what I have to do now. Helping others should always come before asking others for help. We're safe and sound—and free to choose! So there's no reason we shouldn't choose to help our friends. Let's look for Riku and Kairi together."

Another earthquake appeared, and this time it was harder than the last Mickey felt. Marie came running into the room, and stopped for a brief moment to look at them all. "Well, don't just stand there—come on!"

She ran towards the entrance and Mickey nodded. "She's right; we gotta start by helping out here!"

Mickey ran after Marie, and the gang nodded as they followed them both outside the castle. Marie kept her pace, and she knew she wasn't going to keep crying over a picture of Ansem—she was willing and ready to fight! She made it past the hallway and ran outside the castle, she noticed a bunch of heartless and nobodies scattered around fighting each other, and wondered what was even going on.

**ଓ**

Sora, Donald and Goofy all stopped when they saw Maleficent as she appeared inside the castle. She smirked at them and told the heartless to stop attacking the nobodies and to attack Sora and the rest. Sora didn't like this, and he was in fact worried about Marie—who just bolted out of the room in top speed. Still, he remained and fought off the heartless that surrounded him.

**ଓ**

Aura jumped down a couple of roofs and cursed to herself, she knew something was going to happen in Hollow Bastion, but she didn't listen to her hunch. She jumped down to the floor and hacked at a few heartless and nobodies, while the rest she snapped her fingers to. She looked around, and noticed a lot of the monsters around and wondered who was behind all of this. She saw Marie running around and she kept her distance as she jumped back up on the roofs. She didn't see any of the members of the organization, but didn't doubt that they would appear.

**ଓ**

"Where's Maleficent?" the fairies from before asked. Sora told them that she ran away, and the orange fairy commented on how lame the move was. The black one told them they picked the wrong side. After a moment of arguing between the three, Sora told them that if they wanted to pick sides, they should go for Leon.

"Does this Leon have any treasure?" the middle one asked. Donald told them he had lots, and they were pretty much convinced. Sora asked who they were, and they just stated that they were a couple of treasure fanatics. They left, and Sora shook his head—they didn't need this. They continued running out of the castle, and attacked a couple of nobodies. When they reached the postern they stopped as a bright light shined down upon them. Sephiroth appeared in front of them, and Goofy asked if he was the dark part of Cloud's heart.

"Did Cloud tell you that?" Sephiroth asked. "Then he must understand now."

Sora asked what he was going to do to him, and Sephiroth told him that it was Cloud who hungered for the darkness. They had a score to settle, and Sephiroth was determined to give him what he wanted. He walked away, stating that the last bit of light was the hardest to snuff out. He disappeared into a dark light, and Sora, Donald and Goofy just watched as he did. They continued their run towards the restoration site, and saw Leon and Aerith fighting off the heartless and nobodies. They stayed to help, and fought off a couple of nobodies. Sora still didn't see Marie, and he wondered where the girl was.

When the nobodies were done and dealt with, Leon informed them that the king was at the bailey. Sora nodded, and the gang headed over there as quickly as possible. When they headed down the path, Sora wasn't expecting the sight before him. There were hundreds—thousands of heartless roaming around the place. It was like a war, and it was happening right before their eyes. Yuffie, Aerith, those three fairies, Squall, Cloud—almost everyone was helping fighting off the heartless that swarmed the place. The only person Sora didn't see was Marie, where could she be?

When they reached the bottom of the bailey, the king appeared before them. He told them that they needed to find Riku and Kairi, and that everyone else would deal with the heartless. Sora wasn't going to go, since he promised Leon, and he still needed to find Marie. The king told Donald and Goofy to take Sora away, and they agreed. Sora couldn't leave, though.

When Donald and Goofy started telling him what to do, Sora turned around and couldn't believe it. Donald gave him a wink, however, and Sora caught on. They all ran past Mickey, and jumped down. They turned around to face him, and Sora apologized. They jumped down to where everyone else was, and Mickey just sighed as he smiled.

As they made their way further down, they were stopped by Demyx, the Nobody they saw at Olympus Coliseum. "Hey, you guys are looking lively."

"Didn't we catch you messing around in the Underworld?" Sora asked. "How'd a wimp like you get into Organization XIII?"

Demyx was obviously insulted, and Sora mocked him by saying he couldn't fight. Demyx growled, and placed a finger in front of him. "You shouldn't judge anyone by appearance."

When they took out their weapons Demyx panicked and quickly turned around. He knew they were sending the wrong guy, and Sora wondered who this kook was, anyways. Goofy reminded them that they were nobodies, and didn't have hearts. Demyx turned around.

"We do too have hearts, don't be mean," he said. Donald told him he couldn't trick him, and Demyx grew serious, "Silence, traitor!"

He unleashed his power and took out his sitar, ready to fight. He played a tune on his sitar, and a couple of water fiends appeared. Sora quickly got to work with fighting them.

**ଓ**

Down further into the bailey, Yuffie, Aerith and Squall got to work fighting off a couple of heartless, and since he had nowhere to hide, Ryan was in the middle of the fight, too. He didn't know what to do, and with so many heartless around he was getting overwhelmed. Yuffie was getting tired, and Aerith's healing spells were getting ineffective by the minute. A couple of heartless decided to jump Yuffie, and she covered herself to protect from the attack. However, she didn't feel anything hit her when the attack came, and when she looked up she saw Marie standing in font of her.

"Marie!" she called out. The young blonde turned around as she smiled. A couple of heartless started running towards them, and Marie brought out her keyblade and brought it up above her. A flash of light surrounded her and eliminated the surrounding heartless, and both Aerith and Yuffie were in awe. "Wow, what's going on!?"

"I feel it—this power I have," she explained. "It's not from my clothes, and it's not the power of Kingdom Hearts—this is _my_ power and I feel like I'm at my peak! I think the desire to help fight with my friends unlocked it for me."

"But—"

"We need to focus on the heartless!" Aerith pointed out. They all agreed and the three girls started fighting off the hordes of heartless. Marie glanced over to Ryan, who was trying to find a place to hide, she called his name and he quickly ran over to her. She told him to stay close and he did.

Aura, on the other hand, was also lending her help. Not wanting to see the world go down, and _certainly_ not wanting to see Marie go down she attacked a couple of heartless. She had her hood on, and she hacked at a couple of heartless with a simple sword—easily taking care of the ones surrounding her. She snapped her fingers a couple of times and made the lesser heartless perish while the stronger ones flew back. She quickly looked up to see Sora running down, but stayed true to her word and fought down below with the rest of them.

**ଓ**

After the fight with Demyx, they stopped when they heard the king's voice. They apologized to him, but Mickey told them they needed to help out their friends. As they started walking, one of the heartless fighting atop the mountain sparked and it caused a rock to fall down towards the king. Goofy saw this, and without thinking, moved Mickey out of the way. He was hit really hard by the rock, and flew a few feet away from the king.

Donald and Sora ran to him, and tried waking him up. "Come on, you're the king's captain! You gotta wake up, Goofy! Please, wake up!" Donald cried out.

"This can't be happening!" Sora shouted. Mickey stood there, devastated that one of his good and most trusted friend was down. He growled, and told them that the heartless would pay. He took off his cloak, and out revealed his outfit of red and white hues. He took out his keyblade, which was a reversed kingdom key, and started running towards where the heartless were.

Donald also shouted out in anger at the loss of his friend. He brought out his staff, and followed the king not long after. Sora was the last, and although he didn't want to leave Goofy, he wanted those monsters to pay. He took one glance at Goofy, and quickly left with his keyblade in tow.

Sora held onto his keyblade as he fought the heartless surrounding him. Yuffie was helping out since she saw him, and the both of them went to work. She mentioned how everyone was fighting further down below as they fought, and when they finished fighting a couple more, she told him to go on. She had the fight under control.

Sora nodded, and ran down further and stopped to help Leon fight off a second wave of heartless. They were stronger than the last ones, but with him and Leon fighting it didn't take very long. Leon attacked a couple while Sora used his skills to attack the surrounding heartless. Soon enough, Leon also had the fight under control, and told Sora to head further in where the other hordes of heartless were fighting.

When he made his way towards the next area, he was attacked by a heartless. Tifa, the girl he knew as the one who punched the wall came fighting in, and attacked the heartless around him. She was definitely a fighter, and was quick on her toes as she fought and punched every heartless. He fought off the most of them, and Tifa looked at him. "Hurry, go on ahead!"

He listened and ran ahead. In the next area, he saw Cloud fighting off the heartless. He brought down his sword and impaled a giant heartless that squirmed beneath him. He nodded at Sora, and the brunette helped out in the fight. He brought his buster sword and swung it around as he destroyed a couple of heartless, while Sora cast a few spells at the surrounding, weaker heartless. It was obvious that Cloud was dominating the fight, but was still relieved to have Sora help out. After a few more fights, Sora left the fighting to Cloud, and left to go further in.

He eventually met up with Donald and Mickey, and they asked if he was alright. He looked down. "Well, yea, but…"

"Aww, Goofy," Donald was reminded of the situation, and they all looked down.

"Heey, fellas!" a familiar voice called out. They turned around and gasped their loudest when they saw Goofy running towards him. The gentle dog rubbed his head, and started hya-yucking, "Ya know, that really hurt!"

Mickey ran up to hug the guy, and Goofy didn't think it was a big deal; he always got bumped on the head from time to time. The others started laughing, but Donald came up and hit his shin with his staff. Goofy yelped, and Donald told him to never do that again. Sora sighed and was glad that Goofy was alright, but he still heard no word from Marie. Where was she?

**ଓ**

Marie continued fighting off the hordes of heartless by herself, but she felt the powers draining. Ryan kept close to her, and Marie stopped a bit when she saw a girl in blue fighting alongside her. She gasped when she took a closer look at the girl. "Hey, I know you—you're that girl who helped me out last time!"

"Aura!" Ryan shouted. Marie gasped. Was this the girl that Ryan was talking about? Aura just kept fighting, but managed to let a few words out.

"Keep fighting! This isn't over!" she shouted. Marie nodded, and they started fighting side by side. Getting a good close up at how she fought, Aura was definitely impressed. Soon after a couple of fights, the heartless stopped fighting. Marie, Aura and Ryan all stood still as they watched the heartless just stand there. This gave Marie a chance to breath, but then she started hearing footsteps. She turned around, and noticed Sora, Donald, Goofy and Mickey all running towards her.

"Marie!" Sora shouted. She ran up to them with Ryan, and Sora nearly crushed her with his hug. She gave a slight smile, and her face lit up, "Why did you run like that!?"

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have," she admitted. "But everyone was in trouble, and I couldn't just leave them fighting by themselves!"

"You did the right thing!" Mickey commented. Their reunion was cut short when they noticed the heartless still weren't moving. They walked up a bit close to where Aura stood, and right when Sora was about to say something Mickey pointed at the mountain. They all looked up, and saw one of the members appear. He took off his hood, and looked down at them.

"It's the guy who's not Ansem!" Donald pointed out. He looked down at them, but more so at Aura, who stared right at him. Marie gasped when she saw him, and she also had that familiar feeling with him.

"Wait a minute. Now I know!" Mickey recalled the time he asked for advice from Ansem. They were talking about the stability of the worlds, and the doors that appeared. Upon their conversation, the door knocked, and in appeared a man similar to the one in the painting. He talked about continuing his research, and Ansem told him they wouldn't proceed, talking about how they must not seek things like the heart of all worlds. Ansem called his name, and it stuck in Mickey's head.

"Now I remember! Xehanort, Ansem's apprentice!" Mickey called out. "The leader of Organization XIII is Xehanort's Nobody!"

"What? Xehanort?" Marie asked. Mickey started running towards him and she looked up at him, and her head began to hurt. The memories started filling in, and she couldn't handle it.

"Suppress the pain; don't let it get to you!" Aura called out. Marie tried to listen, and she tried to control the pain. The heartless all started surrounding them, and Sora, Donald and Goofy took out their weapons. Aura took a glance at Sora, and unable to even be around him _or _Roxas, she fled the scene. Sora watched as she did, and wondered who she even was.

"Sora… we gotta fight," Marie called out as she stood beside him with her keyblade out. She pointed it at the heartless, and she narrowed her eyes. "I can't let them destroy this place."

Sora nodded and looked at Donald and Goofy, who seemed to get his plan. They all took separate places to get rid of the heartless quicker, and Ryan stayed close to Marie. He was unsure of what was happening, but during all of it he watched as his cousin fought so bravely for a place she called home. He had no doubts about her anymore. Sora and Marie stood side by side, and she felt her forehead burning. With a simple nod from Sora, they both immediately started attacking the surrounding heartless. Sora used some of the heartless to get rid of the ones near him, while Marie used her flash of light to get rid of some of the hordes. The power was returning to her and she used it to her advantage. They attacked a couple more heartless using their abilities and Marie was being ruthless in her attacks. She yelled and shouted as she attacked each one, while Sora kept flinging the heartless around with attacks and spells.

When they cleared a path, he ran ahead with the rest following him behind. They stopped for a moment, and Sora asked where the king was. They looked around, and Donald pointed at him fighting off the Nobody.

"Your majesty!" Donald shouted as they all ran by the king's side. Mickey gave a quick smile, and looked back as he called out Xehanort's name.

"How long has it been since I abandoned that name…" he replied.

"Out with it, Nobody! Where's Riku? Where's Kairi!?" Sora demanded.

"I know nothing of any Kairi," replied the man. "As for Riku…Perhaps you should ask your king."

He turned around, and Sora looked at the king. Mickey was angry, and told Xehanort to stop. He started running towards him, but a portal opened up, and they both fell into it. They tried to follow, but the portal closed, and Sora grew disappointed. "He's gone…"

He fell to the floor, and started punching it. Goofy held his shoulder, and Donald tried reassuring him. When they got up, they looked at the town, and heard a couple of noises. Marie looked a bit worried, and told them she was going to check it out. She ran back towards the town, leaving Ryan in their care. Once she was out of sight, they all heard a voice.

"Way to fall into their trap," they heard the voice. They turned around to face a redheaded man with bright emerald eyes. They took out their weapons and glared at the man. "C'mon. it's a set-up by Organization XIII. Xemnas is using you to destroy the heartless—that's part of his big master plan."

"Xemnas?" Donald asked. The guy told them that it was the leader of Organization XIII—the guy they just met. They all seemed a bit shocked, and Goofy repeated the plan.

"Man, you're slow," he pointed out. "Every heartless slain with that keyblade releases a captive heart. That is what the Organization is after."

"So what are those guys gonna do with the hearts?" Donald asked. Even though Axel felt like he should tell them, since it involved Marie and Aura, he kept his mouth shut.

"You… you're the guy who kidnapped Kairi!" Sora called out.

"Bingo. The name's Axel. Got it memorized?" he replied. While seeing nothing of the sort, Marie decided to run back to Sora and the others. She stopped before she got there, and overheard voices.

"Where's Kairi?" Sora pleaded. "Please, just tell me!"

The man with the voice, who Marie knew as Axel, was about to speak. He got interrupted when a sharp voice appeared. She peeked at who it was, and it was the guy with blue hair. Axel growled and disappeared, and she saw Sora attempting to chase after him. The man in blue stopped him though, and told him that he would get the maximum punishment.

"I don't care about any of that!" Sora shouted. "Just let me into the realm of darkness, okay?!"

The man in blue looked ahead, and he was able to spot Marie from the distance. She gasped and hid a bit, and the man smirked. He turned around. "If it's Kairi you're worried about, don't. We're taking very good care of her."

"Take me to her," Sora demanded. The man turned his head slightly, and turned back to Sora and asked him if she was that important, "Yeah. More than anything."

Marie covered her mouth and wanted to scream, she didn't even want to believe what he was saying. How could he… after all that he said about loving Marie… it felt so horrible, even if she couldn't remember. The man smirked, and told Sora to show him how important Kairi was. Marie turned and saw Sora beg on his knees, and she just watched. The man smirked, and commented on how much he cared. His answer was clear, and it was no.

The man in blue called upon some of the heartless, and started explaining to the gang how the heartless were such valuable creatures, since they would combine and weave the heart of all hearts: Kingdom Hearts. Sora just continued to glare at the man, and he looked down at them. "And when Kingdom Hearts comes together, we shall use those who bear the mark and devour them as they supply us with the ability to become whole!"

Marie grabbed her head, and started feeling the pains from earlier. She tried to not cry out in pain, and she just clutched her head. She remembered what Aura said, and tried to suppress the pain. All these memories of last year started spilling into her head, and she tried very hard not to cry. The pain was becoming horrible.

"What are you prattling on about? Kingdom Hearts and those two children belong to me!" a very familiar voice belonging to Maleficent said. "The heart of all kingdoms, the heart of all that lives. A dominion fit to be called Kingdom Hearts must be _my_ dominion!"

Marie kept clutching her head, and as the memories kept flooding in her mind the memories of Sora poured into her as well. She held onto her head, and just stood there as the pain drifted away. She took a deep breath, and stood up straight.

"Stop, Maleficent! No more heartless!" Sora cried out, not wanting to cause any more hearts being captured. She just scoffed at him, and shouted that she wouldn't take orders from him.

"Stop," said a low and eerily calm voice. They turned towards the entrance of the peak, and they were surprised to find Marie standing there, with her arm wrapped around the other. She had an indifferent look, and just walked up to them. "If you want Kingdom Hearts, I'll give it you."

"What…! Marie, what are you saying!?" Donald shouted. Sora looked at her, and noticed she had a conflicted look. She seemed so sad, and he wondered what was going on. She took a glance at him, but quickly looked away.

"Just stop letting the heartless out and Sora can focus on saving his friends," she said. The man in blue scowled, and told her that the power belonged to Organization XIII. Maleficent scoffed, and summoned her heartless anyway. The man retaliated by summoning his own set of nobodies. They easily got rid of the heartless, and Sora looked at the nobodies. They were about to fight them, but then Maleficent came in front of them.

"While I keep these creatures at bay, you devise a way to vanquish them—forever!" she shouted. Sora called out to her, but she just scoffed. "Do not misunderstand me. I shall have my revenge on you yet, and the power of Kingdom Hearts will be mine!"

Everyone watched as she drowned underneath the mountain of nobodies, and Sora was about to fight, but Donald stopped him. The man in blue continued to stare at them, and called forth strong heartless. Sora was confused at whose side they were on, but the man explained that the heartless ally with whoever was the strongest. As they attacked, Sora defended and attacked them, making their hearts rise up.

"Yes, Sora!" the man said. "Extract more hearts!"

The heartless kept coming at them, and Sora defended, not wanting to use the keyblade. He feared that everything they ever did was for nothing, and he didn't know what to do if he couldn't use the keyblade. They heard Maleficent's voice calling them imbeciles, and a bright light appeared around them. They found themselves on the gummi ship, and as soon as Marie opened her eyes, she looked around. The next thing she knew, she was on the ground blacked out.

* * *

><p>Uh-oh, the trouble with love, huh? I guess Sora's done it again, and this time it all came out. Marie seemed to have gotten her memory back, but is it too late? Who knows…?<p> 


	44. I remember you, my love

**Marie and her keyblade:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-38350 2787

**Marie's staff:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Star-Rod-384177139?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y&qo=1

**Ryan:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562

**A\N: **  
>That was an interesting chapter. No one really lost their shit, and I feel a little disappointed, but hey! Maybe somewhere else later in the story someone will. Well, at least it's the calm before the storm. What storm? I shall never tell! :x Hey, since I'll be writing in 3rd for a while, mainly because since Marie is all 'void' of any feelings and stuff sorta, tell me which you'll like best, 1st or 3rd?<p>

We'll be seeing a lot of Aura, too! Since she'll be a-joining the team! I hope she doesn't beat Sora up!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty<strong>**-Four**

**ଓ**

**I remember you, my love**

Stella looked at the screen, and a couple of beeping noises were heard. Dante walked into the room, and although they were still not on good terms with each other, they checked out what had happened.

"…She remembered," Stella said. She looked down Marie, and gave a huge sigh of relief. "I guess it was that Nobody who activated the remembering process."

"I thought it would be Sora," Dante admitted. He shook his head, and wondered what was even going on. "What's going through that kid's head?"

"I don't know, but we still have to thank him for making her remember their relationship," Stella explained. She lowered her eyes, and stared at the floor. "Even if it wasn't in the_ best_ of ways…"

"What happens now?" Dante asked. Stella didn't know she just knew that Marie and Sora had to deal it out amongst themselves. She sighed, remembering her own position with her own husband. She shook her head though, and figured she would talk about it sometime later. _Hopefully_.

**ଓ**

Marie woke up with a slight headache, but it quickly went away when she got up. She looked around—where was she? Oh right, she was onboard the Gummi ship. The last thing she remembered was being in the realm of darkness—at least Sora thought so—and encountering a box with a photo and sea-salt ice cream in it. The picture had Hayner, Pence, Olette, and a boy named Roxas, which popped into Sora's head. The ice cream turned into a keyhole, and they were able to get out of the place. Sora was still bent on finding Kairi.

Marie sat on her bed, and she brought out her hand. She tried calling her keyblade, but it wasn't coming to her—what was going on? She tried willing it again, but nothing came. She was worried; did she lose the ability to summon the keyblade? The ship stopped, and she wondered where they landed. Maybe this was her chance to ask about her keyblade. She got up from her bed, and walked out into the deck.

"Marie! Hey, are you okay?" Ryan asked. Donald and Goofy turned around, and were just as surprised, and relieved, to see Marie walking around. "You just fell so randomly, I thought something bad happened."

"I'm fine. It was just a bit overwhelming." He was a bit right on the bad part, she thought, but she wasn't going to expose that. Goofy asked what was overwhelming, and she looked up at the screen focusing on Hollow Bastion. "Do you think we can go visit Hollow Bastion first? I want to check up on something."

Goofy had no problem, nor did Donald. Sora looked at the girl—there was something different about her. She seemed calm, _too _calm for his liking. Did something happen? He shook his head, and they all headed out for Hollow Bastion.

**ଓ**

They walked toward Merlin's house, and when they entered they saw Yuffie, Cid and Merlin walking about. Yuffie looked at the bunch, and cheerfully greeted them. Marie smiled a bit, while Cid just greeted them normally. He asked what was up, but they didn't really know, and pointed at Marie. He looked at her, and asked. "Something bothering ya?"

"I wanted to speak to Merlin," Marie requested. They all stood still, until she looked around. "_Alone._"

They all gave her a weird look, but Merlin was okay with the request. Sora, Donald, Goofy and the rest walked out of the house, leaving only Marie and Merlin alone. She sighed and sat down on one of the chairs as she thought of the words she would say, and Merlin waited patiently. She looked up at him and began. "Merlin, I wanted to talk to you because I can't use the keyblade anymore."

He gasped, and asked her if she was joking, but she shook her head. She demonstrated by willing her keyblade, and only a spark of light appeared, but not the keyblade. Merlin stroked his beard at this, it was most interesting. How could she have lost her ability to will the keyblade? He needed to look further into this, and he looked at Marie. "I would like to run some tests, but I think everyone should know."

She nodded, she was just glad to have told Merlin first. After Merlin used his magic to see what was going on with Marie, he called over Leon and Aerith, who were at the computer lab. Once they made their way, Sora and the rest came into the room, too. Marie stood sitting quietly, while everyone else gathered around. Leon crossed his arms and asked what was going on.

"Yes, well, it has come to my attention that Marie can no longer wield the keyblade," he announced. Loud gasps were heard within the room, but Sora seemed the most surprised.

"Wait, what? How is that possible?" Yuffie asked. Aerith looked over to Marie, and asked if there were any changes in her mood.

"…I remember," was all she let out. She looked down at the floor, and gave a defeated sigh, "Everything from last year and a couple of things from my past. It must have happened during the battle with the heartless, when everything just started coming back."

Merlin told them that he ran a few tests on Marie, and found that there was something preventing her from using her keyblade. Leon had a feeling that he knew what was going on, and turned to them all. "It's said that if a keyblade user can't use it, they've lost their heart… or their way."

"So, what? Marie lost her heart!?" Sora asked, starting to panic at the possibility of that. Leon just shook his head, and mentioned that if she had she wouldn't be there with them. Sora lowered his head a bit and looked at Marie, who had a very solemn look on her face.

"It's obvious she's lost her way, the path is… clouded," Leon said. Marie lowered her eyes as everyone started talking amongst themselves. Leon seemed pretty spot on—she had lost her way. She thought remembering everything would solve half of her problems, but it felt like it was getting worse. She got up and walked towards the door, she heard the voices calling out to her, but she couldn't listen. She couldn't understand. She couldn't cope.

When she was outside, she looked around. Everything felt so dark, so alone. Aside from having to deal with her powers, her identity and the imposter walking around as her, she also had to deal with Sora being very affectionate and she couldn't return his feelings. Now that she had remembered everything, was it too late? Sora walked out of the house, and spotted Marie looking around the place. What was going on? What was happening to her?

"Marie!" he shouted out. She turned around, and met with his arms wrapped around her. She froze in her spot—why was he doing this? He wrapped his arms around her tightly, and snuggled his head into her neck. Why was he doing this? It was hurting her too much. "Marie, what's going on?" he asked.

"No, Sora," was all she could mutter out. He slightly parted from the hug, but she had her hands on his chest. She didn't want to cry in front of him, so she fought the feeling. Sora could see it though, and he really wondered what was going on. "I can't keep doing this…"

He raised an eyebrow, and he looked down at the girl. She had her head facing down, and she didn't dare look up. She just continued. "I can't keep loving you without it hurting."

"Loving—Marie what are you saying? Do you remember?" he asked. She gave a slight nod, and all of his joys came back on top of everything. He was so glad to hear that word, and to know that she remembered made everything go back into perspective. He was smiling but it quickly went away when she mentioned the last part 'without it hurting'. He looked at her, "what's hurting?"

They were still in a slight hug, but she lowered her hands from his chest. She took a moment to take a deep breath, and still didn't look up at him. She seemed scared to; because she feared she would find the answer she _wasn't_ hoping for. "When you talked to that member of Organization XIII you told him that Kairi meant more than anything…"

She parted from his hug, and she turned around. She wanted to cry, but she held it in. Sora looked at the ground, and recalled what he had told that guy. It was true that Kairi meant a lot to him, but he never meant to make it sound anything more than just being best friends. He turned to her.

"I didn't mean it like that!" he said. She didn't turn around, but he kept talking. "Yeah, Kairi means a lot, but so does Riku! They're my friends!"

"But the way you said it…you even got down on your knees," she brought her hands close to her chest. Honestly, it wasn't the fact that he liked Kairi, but the feeling of having her heart betrayed was more of the issue causing her to be like this. "If you like Kairi, that's fine… but... it just really hurts. I really thought—"

He came up running behind her, and embraced her back. She just stood there, and felt as Sora placed his chin on her shoulder. She really wanted to cry, all these affections felt like he was just trying to convince her without any feeling behind it. He wrapped his arms around her stomach, and he just stood there.

"Don't you remember last year? All that we went through?" he recalled. She remembered every detail of that year, but was it all real? It was so sad that she was questioning Sora's love for her, but she felt betrayed, ripped and thrown away. "I…"

She looked up and sighed. "You can't say it, can you?"

"But I care for you, Marie. I care a lot and you mean everything to me," he fought back. He held the hug tighter, and dug his face into her neck again. He couldn't say those three words, it was true. He didn't know what was stopping him, since he knew he could say it in his mind, and he was going to prove to her how much he loved her. "I'm going to show you how much I care, so you don't have to feel like this."

"Do you love Kairi?" It took a moment for Sora to think about it, but he really didn't know. Being away from Kairi was bad, but he really felt that he loved Marie. Why was it being so hard to choose when he would've picked Marie in a heartbeat? The blonde sighed. "I think you should figure out your feelings first, but… no matter how much it hurts… I'll still be here for you."

Sora let go of the hug, and Marie turned around. She gave a slight smile, but it looked very empty. He felt horrible, but he didn't understand why it was hard for him to just choose. Did Kairi have a subtle effect on him that escalated? Marie told them they needed to head back, and Sora nodded, although reluctantly. They walked up the stairs and in toward Merlin's house, with the wizard talking on and on. They turned to the young, somewhat couple standing by the door, and Merlin raised his hand. "Here, I've developed a staff for you to use while you try and figure out how to get back the keyblade."

Aerith walked up to Marie and gave her the staff, which was pretty much identical to her keyblade, just in a staff form. Merlin explained that the staff had a couple of cool spells and techniques, to make up for not having the keyblade. Aerith patted the girl's back, and comforted her. "You'll find your way, Marie. I know you will."

"But... what if she doesn't—"Cid quickly slapped Yuffie's head, and she yelped in pain. Cid told them that Marie was strong and she would find the way in no time. Leon, however, seemed a bit skeptic.

"To find the way... or even oneself… wouldn't that take years to find?" he asked. Marie dropped her shoulders, and she really thought that too. Sora interjected, and told them that he was going to help her find it no matter what, and Marie looked at him as he smiled back at her. Ryan brought a finger to his chin and thought for a moment. He wanted the best for his cousin, so he looked at everyone else.

"In that case, I'll stay behind." Everyone looked at him, but he had a serious and firm look. Marie seemed the most shocked, and she asked if he was joking. He laughed, but told her he wasn't. "If you need to find yourself or the way, then protecting me is only going to drag you down. I don't like you like this, so I want the old Marie that everyone else likes. Plus, I've learned I'm pretty good on a computer."

They all laughed a bit at that last part and Marie smiled at her cousin as she thanked him. He nodded, and looked at Sora straight in the eye. "And I expect you to protect her while you guys are gone."

Sora nodded, and it was a little weird seeing such a serious Ryan. The guy in question scratched the back of his head and chuckled a bit as he looked at them, "Just don't forget to pick me up when we need to go home."

They laughed again, and Marie looked around. She thanked everyone for the encouraging words, and looked at Sora, Donald and Goofy. They nodded and she smiled, she really hoped she would be able to find the missing pieces in her heart. It wasn't like she was looking for a physical person, but something to make her feel like she was Marie again. She didn't know where she would find it, but she was determined.

**ଓ**

After leaving Merlin's house, the gang started walking to where the Gummi ship was. Although everyone encouraged her, Marie still felt insecure and wondered if she would ever wield the keyblade. Sora looked her way, and lowered his eyes as he did, was it his fault that she was like this? He couldn't say 'I love you'? Or the mishap with Kairi? He knew that her memory was her problem prior to the battle, but now that she regained most of them, she got even worse. Was it really his fault?

"You pulled a very stupid move trying to give yourself up to those losers," a mature voice was heard. Everyone looked up, and saw a girl in blue sitting on top of a roof, and she had her hood on which covered her eyes. Donald took out his weapon, since he didn't feel quite right with the girl staring down at them. She just smirked, "How can you even _protect_ that power if you can't even _fight_?"

"Who are you!?" Sora shouted, not liking the girl's attitude. He took out his keyblade, and she just scoffed. She lifted her leg, and rested her elbow and her knee. Marie looked up, and noticed it was Aura, but she didn't say anything. She didn't budge, and Sora was getting irritated. He looked at Donald and Goofy, who also seemed irritated. "Let's go guys."

Aura jumped down from the roof and stood right in front of Sora, she had a devilish smile plastered on her face, and he was getting suspicious. He still had his keyblade out, and was prepared to hit her if she did anything dangerous. She raised one hand quickly, and Sora automatically brought up his keyblade, but before he could hit her she grabbed a finger of his and pinched it.

"Ow, ow, ow!" he shouted. She was still grabbing his finger, which was his left pinkie, and continued the devilish smile she had. Donald got angry, and told her to stop or he would hit her, but she was eager to fight. Marie raised her eyebrow at what Aura was doing, and it seemed a bit comical, but they needed to be serious.

"Stop it," she said as she walked up to Aura. She turned her head towards the blonde, and raised her eyebrow. Sora was in pain with his pinkie entrapped within the girl's hand, and he was trying to pry it from her. It wasn't helping, since she seemed _way_ stronger than he was.

"You like him, don't you?" she asked. Marie dropped her shoulders, but she nodded at the brunette. Aura was surprised that she was able to remember loving Sora, and she felt like she had paid her dues. That part of the plan was over with, but Aura needed to protect Marie from now on, and she was getting a little tired of hiding in the shadows and she was tired of always being around Riku or DiZ. "Alright, I'll let you go. I'll even help you guys, since it looks like you'll need it."

"W-We don't need your help!" Sora shouted as he sucked on his inflated pinkie. The girl had tremendous strength, and he didn't doubt _that_, but who was she to tell him she was going along with them all? He definitely wasn't going to take her after nearly breaking his pinkie!

"I think it would be great if you helped," Marie said as she smiled at the girl. Sora looked at her, completely distraught at what she said. She turned to him, Donald and Goofy, and tried explaining. "This is the girl who helped Ryan get to me, and she also protected him a bit before I met him. She also helped me when I almost got into a fight with one of those Organization guys."

"You—what? You got into a fight with them?" asked Sora, who felt deflated that he hadn't been doing a very good job at protecting Marie. She nodded though, and told them that she was sure Aura would be a great help. Sora pouted his lips as he was still unsure, but he knew Marie wouldn't lie about someone. He took a deep, defeated sigh, and looked at her. "What's your name?"

"None of your business, but you can _all_ call me A," she replied as she crossed her arms. Sora was getting irritated again, but for the sake of the team he took out his hand and expected a handshake. She looked at it, and just turned around. "I'd put that away, unless you want your other pinkie damaged."

She gave a small cackle, and started walking towards the Gummi ship. Sora growled, and Marie gave an innocent smile. Including Aura felt like a great move for her, since it definitely took Sora and Kairi off her mind, but she still needed to find her way… and a way to wield the keyblade. She walked along with Sora, Donald and Goofy, and listened to the brunette boy's complaints about Aura. Marie couldn't help but chuckle, but she didn't understand why she didn't introduce herself as Aura… but she figured she had her own reasons, and Marie wasn't one to disrespect them, so she would call her A like everyone else.

**ଓ**

When they boarded the Gummi ship, Aura looked around. She hadn't had the luxury of looking around the last few times she was onboard, but now that she was, it looked pretty cool. She checked out the bedrooms—and a pretty suspicious Sora eyed her as she did—and then headed towards the deck as she looked at the controls and buttons. She seemed impressed.

"Not bad," she said as she placed a finger on her chin. "You guys got some pretty high tech stuff here."

"Just don't… touch anything," Donald said as he looked at her. It was obvious that Donald and Sora didn't really take a liking to her, but Marie and Goofy were fine with it. Marie was fine with it since she knew Aura wasn't a bad person, and Goofy… well, he was just a really nice guy, so he didn't judge her before her got to know her. Marie walked up to her, and Aura stared at her.

"Why did you decide to join us?" she asked. Aura closed her eyes for a moment, she couldn't tell Marie that she was her Nobody and that she was part of Organization XIII, since it would seriously cause some already created friction. She sighed, and looked back at the blonde.

"I've heard about Organization XIII," she said. Sora, Donald and Goofy caught wind of what she said, and they all looked at her. She knew they would listen anyways, so now would be her chance to clear their suspicions of her. "I'm only going to repeat this once, so listen close."

They all walked up to her now, and they listened in. she sighed as she began to talk, "I know what Organization XIII is all about. These guys _are_ a force to be reckoned with, so you shouldn't take them lightly. They're cunning, and they can use the ability to play with hearts since they know how it works."

"But they don't have any hearts," Donald replied. Aura shook her head.

"Doesn't mean they don't know how to pretend to have one," she told them. "All I really know is that they want to be whole again—the whole lot of them—and Marie's involved."

"So then why are you helping us? I can protect Marie fine on my own," Sora retorted. He didn't really like the girl then, but she was getting even more annoying by the minute. "And why are you after them?"

"That's none of your business," Aura told them. Sora and Donald glared at the girl, but she didn't care as she continued. "I just have business with them, and I want them gone. Whether you trust me on that or not is your problem, but you can't ignore the threat these guys pose."

She was right—Organization XIII was a dangerous group, and they really needed all the help they could get. Still, there was something about Aura that got to Sora, but he couldn't really tell other than the fact that she annoyed him. Marie, on the other hand, smiled at the brunette girl. "I trust you," she said.

"Me too!" Goofy added. Donald and Sora looked at them like they were nuts, but if they were willing to trust the girl, then maybe they had to as well.

"We'll trust you too, I guess," Sora said. Donald agreed, and Aura nodded. The ship started up, and they headed towards the nearest place around them, which was the Land of the Dragons. Marie grew excited, since she was going to see Mulan.

Aura watched as the ship started moving, and she closed her eyes. She felt a bit weird being with all of these people, but she knew they were on the path to victory, even if it meant the demise of some of her closest comrades. She wasn't there when Demyx died, but she certainly heard his cries. Her shoulders dropped, and even if he was an enemy, Demyx was the kindest of the group and she really liked that. He didn't like to fight, and he always got lazy within the group, but it was his carefree attitude that made him a memorable person. Her only regret was not trying to convince him to leave the Organization. She sighed, and figured it was probably for the best. She didn't have time to mourn her friend, but she swore she would make a proper burying for him.

When the ship stopped, everyone started getting off. Aura was the last to get off, and they all landed in the snow village of the world. Donald, Goofy and Sora walked ahead, while Aura and Marie walked a bit behind them. Marie told Aura she was excited to see Mulan, but the Nobody didn't even know who that was.

"Look, over there!" Donald shouted as he pointed ahead. They all saw a hooded man looking straight at them, and Aura gasped. It was one of the Organization members, and they were all ready to chase after him until they heard Mulan's voice.

"Mulan, hey. No time to talk, we gotta catch that guy!" Sora replied. Mulan walked ahead of them, and told them she was following him too.

"Then quit your dilly-dallying, and let's go," Aura said as she started running ahead of them. Sora grunted, but followed the girl towards the hooded man. Everyone else followed behind, and Marie watched as Aura took the lead. She was a bit envious at how upfront and intimidating she was, but she felt like she was missing something. It was weird to her that she was able to pick up energies from the girl, but maybe it was because they had met before. Regardless, she ran with everyone else as they chased after the man.

As they kept running, they saw him run up towards the mountains and quickly followed him behind. Once there, however, they didn't see anyone. They looked around, but Mulan commented on how he must have run. Goofy looked towards the oriental woman and asked, "How come you're after somebody from Organization XIII?"

She didn't know who the group, and Sora explained it to her as them being the bad guys. Aura looked away, and knew Axel was probably the only one not scheming with them. She had heard rumors that he was acting against them, and even found out how he brought Kairi into this mess. She narrowed her eyes; he'd get one for pulling a stunt like that. Mulan sighed, and looked at them all after being explained about the Nobodies.

"There's a rumor in the Imperial City about a spy in black, lurking in the mountains," she said. "I'd been up here tracking him, but when you arrived, I lost him."

Goofy apologized on the team's behalf, but she didn't mind—she was just curious where the man went. They all looked around, and when Marie took a step forward, she felt the floor tremble. She gasped, and everyone looked at her. Aura wondered what was going on, until she looked up at the mountain's peak. "We've got company," she said.

"Again?" Donald complained as he saw the same little heartless that they saw the last time they were at Mulan's world, and he dropped his shoulders and he sighed. Mulan took out her sword, and Donald, Goofy, and Sora did the same. Aura was a bit hesitant with using her keyblade, so she used a back-up sword to fight. It didn't make her as strong, but it wouldn't draw attention to her. As they all ran towards the heartless, Marie held her hands close to her chest. She didn't have the keyblade, and she didn't know how useful the staff would be. Still, she called it out in the same way she did with her keyblade, and it appeared in her hands. Sora turned around, and gasped as he saw the hooded man behind Marie.

"Hey! You!" he shouted as he ran close to Marie. He brought out a hand in front of her, and glared at the man. "Quit sneaking around!"

The man pointed behind him, and Marie saw a heartless about to attack him. She brought her staff close to her, and a powerful leveled fire magic came from it. Sora glared at the man, and immediately started attacking him. Marie watched as he did, but the man only seemed to be blocking all of his attacks. She wondered what was going on, and when he started fighting _against_ the heartless she was really confused. Nonetheless, she stayed with Sora and healed him whenever his health got low. He wasn't making her feel any better about herself, but she couldn't let him die. She did love him, after all.

She was adamant about attacking the man, since there was something off about him. It wasn't anything bad, but she couldn't figure it out. As he kept fighting off the heartless, Sora kept fighting him. She kept healing him while casting spells around for the heartless. After a moment of fighting the heartless, healing Sora, and watching him fight with the man, everything stopped. The heartless stopped coming and Marie sighed out of relief as she placed her staff away. She and Sora looked at the man, who only moved his hand around—kind of like in an apologetic way—and ran away. Sora chased after him, and Marie ran after him. He stopped, and was a bit out of breath.

"No… why would he…?" Sora muttered. Marie looked at him and wondered what he was talking about. "Riku?"

Marie's eyes lit up—Riku? Could that really have been Riku? She held her hands close to her, and looked away. What was Riku doing dressed in Organization XIII clothing? Donald, Goofy, Mulan and Aura walked back towards them, and Donald asked if he was okay. Goofy asked if caught the guy.

"Hmm, oh—he's gone," said Sora. He turned around and scratched his head, and Aura eyed the boy. There was something else that happened, and even Marie looked a bit out of it. Donald got annoyed, and Mulan seemed a bit disappointed. Sora scratched his cheek, and looked at them, "Anyway… what now?"

"I think that we better get rid of all the Heartless first," suggested Goofy. Donald agreed, and as they were about to move, they felt the floor tremble. Marie and Mulan screamed a bit, while the rest gasped. They looked around to see what the problem was, but Mulan told them it was best to get off the mountain.

As they got a bit away from the mountain, the floor shook again, and they all saw a giant flying heartless in the sky. Everyone but Aura took out their weapons, but the Heartless just kept flying by. Mulan gasped and told them that the heartless was heading to the city. "We've got to warn Shang," she shouted.

Without a moment to lose, everyone started running down the snowy path and towards the city. Marie was confused by what Sora said—was it really Riku who was behind that outfit? What was he doing? Why was he doing it? She was scared to find out the truth, but Sora looked determined to find what it was. She just hoped it nothing grave would happen.

**ଓ**

When they got to the entrance of the Imperial City, they looked around. The three soldiers that they knew before walked up to them and greeted them. They were glad to see them, and were definitely glad they weren't wearing black cloaks. Mulan asked where they saw the man, and they told him he was in the palace. Mulan turned and quickly ran inside, with everyone else in tow.

As soon as setting foot in the entrance to the castle, everyone was surrounded by heartless. Aura growled as she saw so many heartless, and took out her sword. Marie looked at everyone else taking out their weapons, and she tried to call out her keyblade. A spark of light appeared in her hand, but it quickly disappeared with no keyblade in sight. She watched the rest fighting and saw Aura easily dismantling the heartless around—and that was when she noticed, where was Aura's keyblade? She knew the girl had one, yet she was fighting with a simple sword. She shook her head; maybe this was something she needed to ask in private, because right now she needed to fight.

She called her staff, and it appeared in her hands. She raised it up and the starts started glowing as she chanted a spell. It was the leveled thundaga, and it made a couple of heartless twitch. She smiled at the damage, and did the same with the other heartless. Even if she didn't have her keyblade, the staff was an excellent back-up plan, as it dealt with something she really liked: magic. She swung her staff as it unleashed another spell, and a couple more heartless fell. Sora was busy fighting off the greater half of the heartless along with Aura, and he couldn't help but noticed her moves. She was quick and fluid, and with every attack she gained the rougher it was. It was similar to how he fought, but it could've been his imagination. After a couple more hits, everyone got rid of the remaining heartless staggering around.

They all ran to the palace, but the door wouldn't open. Sora, Donald and Goofy started banging on the door, but Mulan looked over to the poll. She called them over, and the first to climb was Marie, who thankfully learned this when she was dressed up as Mario. Aura came in after, mainly to catch Marie incase she messed up. Donald and Goofy went up after, and then it was Sora, followed by Mulan. She seemed a bit hesitant, but she got on the pole. She started climbing, and about halfway she tripped. Sora turned back and stuck out his hand to catch her, but she managed to grab hold of the pole again. She looked up and nodded at him, and he climbed up in return. When they reached the top, Marie dusted off the dirt she contracted, while everyone else looked around. They saw a man in a black coat, and they all jumped down. Marie was a bit scared to jump from so high, but before Sora could encourage her, she was already falling down with Aura. They landed decently, and Sora just glared at the girl. She was making his job at trying to show Marie he loved her hard, but she didn't care. The last to fall was Donald, who, didn't really land all that well, but he still got up.

They all ran towards the man, who turned around when he heard them approaching. Sora seemed a bit hesitant, and he walked up to him. "…Riku?" he asked.

Donald and Goofy seemed surprised, along with Aura. She didn't even expect him to be _anywhere_ near them, and she wondered if he was trying to get her back, since… she pretty much just ran away from him and DiZ. The man kept staring, and slowly took off his hood. Aura's eyes widened when she saw Xigbar appear from under his hood, and she covered her face a bit more using her own hood.

"No. Never heard of him." A burst of energy appeared, and it nearly flew Aura's hood off. She quickly placed it back in order, and watched as a bunch of Nobodies stood around. She growled as she took out her sword, and watched as Xigbar ran for the door. Marie watched as he did too, and she was so fed up with everyone looking familiar to her. That man felt _incredibly_ familiar to her, but it brought out the worst types of feelings from her.

"Come back here!" she shouted as she ran after the man. Sora watched with wide eyes and called out to her, but Aura simply told him to fight, chasing after the blonde. He couldn't just leave her with Marie, but Mulan and the others were struggling without him. He growled, and hoped Aura would keep her word.

Marie ran outside of the now unlocked doors, and stopped the man. He kept running and turned around, and when he saw Aura running after Marie he stopped. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" he said.

"Who are you!?" Marie shouted. The man just snickered, and wasn't going to answer her that. Aura walked closer to Marie, and she eyed Xigbar like a hawk. She cursed to herself at running after Marie, since it would be so easy for all of the members to ambush and kidnap them both, but she couldn't let the blonde go alone.

"And why would I tell you that, you little brat?" he retorted. Marie glared at the man, and demanded to know. He just kept snickering, and she was getting irritated. "I'll tell you when you're about half-way dying—"

"Watch your tongue!" Aura retorted at the man. He stopped talking, and just stared at the young Nobody. He was so disappointed at the fact that she turned on them, since she seemed like a much laid back and fun person, but if she was connected to Marie he knew where it would end up. He instead just walked backwards into his portal, and Marie was about to chase after him, but Aura grabbed her arm. When he was out if sight, Marie turned back to Aura and asked her why she didn't let her go. "Because they're dangerous and you're not strong enough."

Marie sighed, and Aura walked back inside with the blonde. They met up with everyone, and Sora ran up to Marie. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"She's fine," Aura told him in her place. He glared at her, but she looked at everyone else. "Let's go see what's up."

Mulan nodded and ran inside towards Shang and the emperor. Donald, Goofy and Aura followed close behind, but Marie looked at Sora. "I'm sorry it wasn't Riku. I was hoping to see him, too."

He turned towards Marie, who gave him a half smile. He still felt the hurt she was feeling and he sighed, hoping to find some _giant_ way to show his love for her. He could kiss her, but he knows it would only make things worse—he wasn't that stupid in the love department. He just smiled, and they both walked into the emperor's room.

**ଓ**

"Your Excellency! Shang, something terrible has happened!" Mulan shouted as she stood in front of them. "We saw a huge monster fly out of the mountains and toward the city!"

"Ahh. So it is as the young man said," said the emperor. He looked over to the captain, and he nodded. "You see, a young stranger visited us not long ago. The Captain fought the visitor, but was quickly defeated. It seems that young man was the one in black that I have heard whispers about. "

"Did he mention the name Riku?" Sora asked. The emperor told him that he didn't, and was rather rude. Aura quietly snorted at this, she knew who it was. Sora's eyes widened when he knew who it was, too. "Rude? Then it _was_ Riku!"

Donald and Goofy wondered if he was in the Organization, and Mulan wondered why he came to the Land of Dragons. Marie was probably the only one who was glad that Riku was even around. She sighed in relief to know that he was doing alright, but she still wanted to see him. They were questioning it, but then they felt another tremor. They quickly tried leaving the room, but Shang stopped them by calling Mulan's name. She told him to guard the emperor, but he wanted to come along and protect Mulan. Marie thought it was sweet, but she knew they had to act quickly. They left the room and ran towards the palace gates, and once they opened the door, they were ambushed by the flying heartless.

It was hard trying to land a hit with swords, and the heartless kept moving them around. Aura grew irritated, and ran straight for its tail. She grabbed it as she climbed on top of it, and both Sora and Mulan caught on. Goofy was the last to get on, while Marie and Donald stayed behind to cast their magic. Sora and Aura attacked the horns of the heartless, while Mulan attacked the other ones. Goofy did the same, and Donald fired a couple of thunder spells. Marie did her best at casting blizzard spells, and they were both effective.

The ones who were on the heartless were flung off of it, but they safely landed with the help of conveniently placed tornados. It helped them attack the heartless again, and they used it to their advantage. Donald and Marie kept firing their spells, and she felt something coming from the staff. She raised her eyebrow, and she felt her forehead burn. She tightened the grip on her staff, and closed her eyes. There was a spell being read to her, and when he opened her eyes she raised her staff.

"Diamond Dust!" she shouted. Aura heard the attack, and shouted for everyone to jump off. When they did, a snowstorm appeared around the heartless. It spun it around a couple of times, and when it stopped icicles came falling down on it after. It got dizzy from the attack, and Sora, Aura and Mulan got back to attacking.

"Where did that come from!?" Donald said as he kept casting spells. He was amazed at the spell she chanted, and wondered if it was the staff doing it. She looked at it and back at the battle, she was really enjoying her weapon.

"Who knows, but let's keep fighting!" he agreed, and they both kept casting spells and healing everyone at the same time. It was mostly Mulan and Sora doing the damage, with Aura coming in after. Since she didn't want to use her keyblade, it affected her strength a lot. Nonetheless, Sora and Mulan were able to get rid of the heartless with Donald and Marie helping out with their spells.

The heartless flew to the sky, but quickly started to fall. Mulan was right underneath it, and the gang gasped as it kept falling. They told her to run, but in a state of shock she couldn't. Shang came running in and called out her name, and held onto her as the heartless disappeared with it's heart floating towards the sky.

"Way to go!" Sora shouted. They watched as Mulan and Shang had a moment, but when the two noticed they were being watched they parted so far apart while blushing uncontrollably. Fireworks started going off, and they all looked towards them.

**ଓ**

"Once again, you have served China well," the Emperor said. "It would please me to reward you. What is it that you wish?"

Donald was thinking treasures all the way, but a hungry-looking Goofy thought otherwise. Sora placed a finger on his chin, and then looked at the emperor. "Well, you say a guy in black came to see you. What did he say?"

The Emperor asked if that was all he requested, and Sora was quick to answer with a nod. Donald and Goofy dropped their shoulders, since they had something totally different in their minds. Aura didn't really care, and Marie _was_ curious about Riku. The Emperor told him that Riku came to warn him of the danger that someone was going around and turning monsters or people into heartless, and that he was told to prepare his troops.

"Did you?" Sora asked. The Emperor laughed and told him he was about to, but Shang finished with saying that the man told them that a 'couple of wise people' came and would take care of the situation. Sora smiled brightly. "That's gotta be Riku!"

"But what's he doin' hangin' out with Organization XIII?" Goofy asked. He and Donald were worried, and Aura didn't say anything to defend the silver haired teen. Sora didn't know, but he was really glad that Riku was alright. Marie smiled and agreed, and both Donald and Goofy were glad as well.

"Now then, Fa Mulan. Do you have a request?"

Mulan froze in her place, but summed up to courage to explain. "I'd like Shang… I-I mean… well… The Captain... could the Captain have a vacation, please?"

The Emperor was amused by such a humble request, and Shang blushed. The Emperor got up from his seat, and unfortunately told her that he would have to refuse. She grew disappointed, but the Emperor had more news, "And yet, Mulan. Would you like to serve alongside him and protect me?"

"Thank you, your Excellency!" she cheered. She and Shang walked up to each other, and smiled so happily at each other. Marie felt so happy for her friend, and watched as they shared a romantic look. Sora also smiled, and he looked over to Marie, who was smiling and seemed dazed at their interaction. He wanted to walk up to her and hug her, but he didn't want to ruin Mulan and Shang's moment. He sighed and debated over it, but decided to let it go. He had to prove to her otherwise. He lowered his head at how well Marie was handling things, and he wondered what went on in her head. He really thought she would hate him and would never want anything to do with him, but she even told him that she would be there for him, and so far… she'd been there. Yet, he can't return the favor quite as well. Aura also looked at Sora and Marie, and expected a hug or a wrap around the shoulders like Mulan and Shang were doing, but nothing. She even wondered if Marie really remembered her feelings for Sora.

**ଓ**

Aboard the Gummi ship, everyone took the time to relax for the night. They hadn't gotten much rest since Hollow Bastion, so they thought a quick overnight break would do them good. Marie and Aura shared a room since they didn't mind, and Aura just looked around and noticed how pink everything looked. She twitched her eye at the colours, but she figured she would have to get used to them for a while.

"Why don't you use your keyblade?" Marie asked Aura. She raised her eyebrow and faced the blonde. She thought of a way to tell her, but she was honestly too tired to really think.

"I don't like using it," she told her. Marie asked her why, and Aura sighed. "Using the keyblade will just complicate things, and I know using it will aid the Organization. I know you can't use it."

Marie widened her eyes and asked how she knew, but Aura just chuckled and told her that she was eavesdropping when Merlin told everyone. Marie pouted her lips, and Aura just smirked. "Don't let Sora or the others know I wield a keyblade, okay?"

"Sure… but why not let him know?" Marie asked. Aura explained that she didn't quite feel comfortable letting them know, even though it was a flat-out lie. She just wanted to keep things as simple as possible, and she didn't want to have to explain how she got the keyblade. She looked over to Marie, and decided to let her know what's on her mind.

"You love Sora, don't you?" she asked. Marie blushed, and laughed a bit weakly. She nodded her head, but she seemed rather sad about it. "What's wrong?"

"I love Sora, but I think he might like someone else. He hasn't told me directly who he liked, but I feel it. It hurts a lot, but… I'm a fool who already told him I'd be there for him, even though all I want to do is run away," she said. She looked up at the ceiling, and gave a heavy sigh. "But really, I'm the one to blame. I don't know how, but I forgot all about us and what we had. I think I drove Sora away because of it, and… I guess I'm just paying the consequences."

Aura looked away. There was a pang of hurt inside her, because it was _her_ fault everything happened. This boy might not love her, and Aura didn't want her other half losing someone she loved. She didn't know whether it was fate or just coincidence that both Roxas and Sora would end up hurting them. It was hard for her too, since she kept herself from staring at Sora. She feared so much that she would see Roxas, and that everything would fall apart. Some things were meant to stay quiet until the time was right, and she learned that from Stella.

"I was like you a long time ago, you know, with being a happy person," Aura started. "But something happened and someone _I _loved hurt me, and I couldn't get over it. I turned into such a mean person, but the hurt was still there—it's _still_ there. I don't want you… to turn into me."

Marie looked at the girl before her, with such a sad expression and such pain. She sighed, but Aura shook her head as she continued. "Don't ask me how, but I know you and Sora will get back to where you last left off. You just gotta be patient with these things."

Marie perked her head at Aura, and remembered the same thing Axel said when she spoke with him.

_"Yeah, but sometimes ya just gotta be patient with these things."_

Maybe the sleep was getting to her head, but was it possible that Aura knew Axel? He was with Organization XIII, and Aura was after them. She might have encountered him on her own journey, but Marie figured that would be for another conversation. The girls plopped down on their beds, and quickly fell asleep along with everyone else on board the ship.

* * *

><p>Haha, conveniently placed tornados. You gotta admit, if it were real life, that stuff wouldn't be there.<p>

Aura's with the team! Omg! I can't believe it! Well, actually, now that Marie remembered Aura needs to be on her guard with trying to deal with org13, and I guess being with Marie would help protect her best. She's not too happy with the situation between Sora and Marie, because it's too much like her and Roxas.

She won't be staying for too long, but enjoy the time she is! There's much friction between her and Sora, since she doesn't really like him. She also isn't allowing the merge to happen, since Marie doesn't even know who her nobody is. And speaking of Marie, her staff will have some powerful magic. I know Diamond Dust is a move of Aqua's, but it's a move from the summon Shiva, too.

**Lvl-ZeR0:**

lol it's fine. I'm glad you took the time to review, though!

**Shadow 1n2:**

Haha, I love kovu! And yea! That scene made me die of laughter! I really hope they do, I mean they have to! If they take out HT they HAVE to add in Corpse Bride or another of Tim Burton's movies. I'm not sure if Corpse Bride is with Disney, though…

Oh, yay! I can't wait to get me some Roxas! Aww, I know—me too! I feel with Axel the most. ;-;

**Grapejuice101:**

LOL yess kick le Scar's butt!


	45. Beauty and the Beast

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-38350 2787

**Marie's staff:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Star-Rod-384177139?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y&qo=1

**A\N: **  
>I hate writing battle scenes so much, augh. Oh, and, you guys get to see some of the abilities that I've shamelessly forgot to write about for Aura. They're nothing big, since Aura is a physical fighter and relies a lot on her weapon.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty<strong>**-Five**

**ଓ**

**Beauty and the Beast**

Belle pranced around in her ball gown, and had a bright smile on her face. She was definitely going to enjoy the evening with the Beast, and even the dresser hoped the might would go well. She wondered why he was so nervous, but the dresser simply told her that he had a shy side, so it might've been the case.

After taking a break onboard the Gummi ship, the team set out to their next world, which was Beast's Castle. Aura looked around, and remembered the first time she came here with Ryan, and boy was that a while ago. They entered the castle, and saw Beast waiting outside at the foyer patiently… well, as patient as a beast could be. He was dressed all nice, and they wondered what he was doing. Donald looked around, and was glad to see that there were no heartless or nobodies in sight. Goofy commented that they felt near, and Sora warned the Beast to be careful, but he just growled.

"What are you so mad about?" Donald asked, wondering what got the beast so worked up. He asked them why they were even in his castle, and Aura scoffed—someone was acting a bit rude.

"The Nobodie's world has to be out there somewhere," Sora replied. Aura jumped a bit at what he said, and Sora continued saying they were looking for a way inside. Aura looked away, seeing as how she could easily send them there—but they weren't ready, especially with Marie not being able to wield the keyblade. She heard Marie gasp, and looked up the stairs. The woman of the house walked down the stairs wearing a beautiful golden ball gown, and the beast turned around.

"Tonight is very important," he told them. He walked up the stairs, and Belle smiled at all of them. Marie smiled and swooned at how beautiful the princess of light looked, while Aura just crossed her arms. Belle and the Beast bowed down to each other, and they entered the ballroom.

"Uh, maybe we came at a bad time," Goofy said. He was right, they were interrupting a very romantic evening, but Donald just had to find out. He started running up the stairs, and Marie shouted.

"Donald! You can't just go interrupting dates!" she said. She ran up after the duck, with Goofy and Sora following behind. Aura just shook her head—these people were certainly weird. She walked up the stairs and followed them all inside the ballroom, and watched as the little furniture people set the mood.

"Now then, Monsieur, Mademoiselle. Please, enjoy the evening!" the candelabra said. He turned around and saw the rest of Sora's gang, and he let out a chuckle. "And of course, our honored guests are welcome, too."

_"A welcome indeed."_

Belle gasped and held onto Beast as everyone looked around. Aura narrowed her eyes as she knew who it was, but she kept her cool. Sora ran and looked around; until he spotted Xaldin standing on the second floor of the ballroom. "The Organization!" he shouted.

"You don't know when you quit," he said. Donald was getting furious along with the Beast, who growled at Xaldin to get out. Belle was upset because he was ruining an evening that everyone so thoughtfully planned out. Beast ran towards him, but Xaldin summoned a couple of lance-wielding Nobodies. He just stood still as he looked down at Beast. "I've come to take something very dear."

He growled in return and Xaldin told him to get angrier. Aura looked up to him, and he looked down to him. She knew he was staring straight at her, she knew Xaldin meant serious business, and she knew he wasn't going down without a fight. Even so, he disappeared, and left a mouthful of Nobodies around. She was going to attempt to chase after him, but when she heard Sora say they needed to clear the surrounding Nobodies, she took out her sword and prepared to fight. Marie did the same thing and called out her staff, while looking at the Nobodies.

**ଓ**

After fighting off the Nobodies, the gang asked where Belle was. Luckily, she was hiding at the balcony of the ballroom, and came out with all the furniture folk. Goofy was glad to know that Xaldin didn't take anything, but Beast gasped as he ran out of the ballroom.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked the others as they watched him run out of the room. No one replied as they saw Belle run out after him, and they wondered what was going on. Sora scratched his head, and looked at the rest. "What's wrong with them?"

"Obviously there's something else he values more," Aura said as she flipped a piece of her hair behind her hoodie. She crossed her arms, and Sora grew a bit annoyed at her holier than thou attitude. Still, he retained his cool, and Marie walked a bit ahead as she turned back to the rest.

"Let's go see what's up," she said. Aura started walking beside her, and Sora did the same. He grew a bit closer to Marie, however, and Aura just scoffed—clearly not impressed with whatever jealousy Sora sprouted. Marie raised her eyebrow to this, and wondered what was going on between the two. Goofy and Donald walked up after, and they seemed to wonder the same thing she did. They all walked outside the ballroom and headed towards the west wing of the castle, they made their way into the hallway and into the room.

They saw the Beast pacing back and forth, and Belle just stood there watching as he did. He growled and punched the floor, and Belle asked what had happened. He growled a bit more, and Belle walked up to him. "Please, calm down!" she cried out.

"Calm down!?" he shouted. She gasped at his loudness, and he glared at the woman. "You just had to have a party, didn't you? Don't you see what's happened?"

"Hey, what's with you?" Sora retorted. He didn't like the fact that Beast was yelling at Belle, but he yelled back saying that his rose was taken. Sora looked at the table and scratched his head. "What? That? He took it?"

Belle asked if he could get another rose, but Beast yelled at the petite young woman, "Silence! You don't know anything!"

Marie gasped at how loud he became, and ran up to Belle as she and Sora placed their hands in front of her. Sora grew annoyed with him. "That's now fair, beast. Don't take it out on Belle," he retorted.

"Yeah, and she wouldn't steal it," Marie added. Aura watched in curiosity as these two defended a woman they would possibly never meet again. She didn't understand why they were doing it—she was just a random woman in a world they came to check out. Belle apologized, but Marie and Sora defended her yet again, saying she didn't have to. Aura looked over to the Beast, and he had a very remorseful look on his face. She tilted her head a bit in confusion; she never really realized just how odd people were with emotions, since the only person she had been talking to were Riku and DiZ—and they were as stoic as a stoic person could get.

"I want you to leave the castle," Beast said in a quiet and sad tone. Everyone watched as Belle questioned why he was doing all of this, but the Beast just looked away, hiding his shame. "Look at me. Look. This is what I am," he admitted.

He explained how he tried changing before they came, but admitted how he was only fooling himself—that he couldn't be any different. He always was a beast, and therefore, came to the understanding that he should live like one and never find happiness, whether on his own or with someone. He said his farewells to Belle, and Marie watched with a sad look. She looked over to Sora, who had his head down, and gave a slight sigh. If she was forever lost in finding her own path, would she live without happiness, too? Belle was shocked to hear it from him, but Beast had made up his mind. Marie shook her head.

"If we can get this rose back, maybe it'll fix things?" she asked. Belle didn't say anything, and proceeded to leave the castle. She followed the woman outside, and everyone else followed. As Belle waved goodbye to the furniture folk, Mrs. Teapot felt bad for the woman. She argued that once the rose was back safely, everything would be alright. Aura scoffed.

"And what exactly is a rose going to fix?" she asked. Mrs. Teapot looked over at her and the rest of the gang, and explained that if the Beast could love and be loved in return, the spell would be broken and they'd all be human again. It was a story they had already told, but the rose had a time limit, and he had to find true love before the last petal fell from the rose. Marie was eager to get the rose back and the furniture folk all urged them too, but Aura again questioned it, "Shouldn't he do it himself?"

Sora glared at how rude she was, but in a sense, she was right. He looked at everyone as he spoke, "If it's that important to him, then yeah. He's got to do it himself."

Everyone agreed, and the gang started heading back to where Beast was. Aura walked a bit behind and called Marie with her. When she was out of Sora's hearing, she looked and asked Marie why she was so bent on helping out Beast get his rose back. "If I can't help my own problems with love… maybe I can help someone else," she replied.

Marie looked at Sora again, and wondered about her own dilemma. She didn't want to think about it, because it hurt a lot, but she knew that with whatever Sora chose she'd love him regardless. It was something she couldn't help, since the boy had an effect on her. Sora, on the other hand, was still confused as to why it was so hard for him to just say those three blasted words. Maybe he did like Kairi? But he loved Marie. Why was it so confusing?

When they walked back into the room, they looked over to the Beast. Sora called out to him, but the guy was still in despair. Sora continued anyways.

"You used to be fearless. You would have given your life to save Belle. Don't you know what that meant to us? You gave us all courage." Aura muttered a few words on how he should have listened to his own words, and Sora glared at the young brunette. He decided to ignore her, and looked back at Beast. "Hmph, maybe you should have kept some for yourself. I mean, are you really gonna throw your happiness away? The rose is your only hope, isn't it? Well, it's the only hope for Cogswoth and the others, too."

"In other words, do you really wanna go back to living before that woman—Belle or whatever—got here?" Aura asked. Beast growled a bit at the question, and Marie perked her head as she stepped in front of Aura.

"Er, don't give up now, Beast!" she encouraged. "You can do it! You can get that rose back!"

"I know one thing," Beast said. They questioned what it was, and the Beast turned his head towards them. "This castle belongs to me. Xaldin will never be welcome here."

As everyone left the room, Aura stayed behind a bit. She wondered—did she love Roxas as much as Beast loved Belle? Did he love her as much? Even with the blonde gone, she was still finding it hard to let him go, and with Sora prancing around it wasn't helping. It wasn't just Roxas… Axel was another one, too. She sighed… how was he doing? Before she could think any farther, Marie called her back into the situation, and she left to catch up to the rest.

**ଓ**

As they made their way towards the entrance of the castle, they heard Xaldin's voice, and turned around as they stared up to the man. He was holding a rose inside a container-like object, and the rose itself sparkled—definitely a mystical and magical item.

"You had me worried. I was afraid you'd give up for good," Xaldin said as he looked down at the rest. Beast growled, and Sora asked what they all really wanted. The man simply looked down towards Marie and Aura, and then back at Sora. "…Kingdom Hearts," he said.

Sora, Donald and Goofy looked over to Marie, who glared back at the man. She recognized that voice, but she didn't know from where. Aura, on the other hand, already had her sword out and looked up slightly towards the man without having her hoodie fall down. Xaldin took off his hoodie, and Marie's eyes widened when he did. Not only did his voice sound familiar, but his face resembled someone she greatly knew, she just couldn't remember the name.

"When Kingdom Hearts is ours, we can exist fully and completely," he told them. Donald and Goofy were confused, while Sora wasn't going to let Xaldin take Kingdom Hearts or the rose, and he especially wasn't going to let him use Marie for their plans. Xaldin looked down at Beast. "So you see, Beast—that's why we need your Heartless _and_ your Nobody!"

He jumped over them while they took out their weapons, and they simply watched as he scoffed at them. He exited through the door, and the gang quickly followed after him. When they went outside, they looked around to see if Xaldin was around. Beast took one end while Sora took the other, Marie and Aura stayed in the middle to take a general look. Goofy looked up, and saw Belle leaning against the balcony. She sighed, and when she looked down she quickly saw Goofy waving at her. She gasped, and quickly went to hide, not wanting the Beast to see her. Before she could enter her room, she saw the rose that Beast was trying to get back, and she happily picked it up.

"Look! It's the rose!" she shouted down below. Beast looked up, and watched in horror as Belle's mouth was covered by Xaldin. He called out to her, but Xaldin jumped again over to the castle gates. Everyone quickly followed behind and stopped when he stood in front of them, while Beast growled at the man. "You! Get out of my castle, now!" he yelled.

"With pleasure, but I'd rather travel light, what shall I leave behind?" he asked. He looked over to Belle and then the rose, but in the moment Belle elbowed him in the ribs, took back the rose and ran for it. Sora cheered for her while she ran, and Beast ran and attempted to attack Xaldin. He jumped again and landed across from them, all while Aura and Marie watched. He looked at them both, and had a slight smirk on his face. "No matter, if I cannot turn you into a Heartless and a Nobody, then I shall take what is ours—Kingdom Hearts!"

He called forth his six lances, and motioned one to aim straight at Marie. Aura gasped, and quickly ran in front of the blonde as she grabbed the lance. It pushed her back a bit, but she brought it down on him like a scythe. Unfortunately he was able to grab it back, but it was enough for Marie to cast a fire spell, which had a slight effect on him. Sora, Donald, Goofy and Beast all ran up to them while Aura took out her sword. She didn't look at the rest, but she figured she'd give some Intel on the Nobody.

"Be on your guard, Xaldin is very skilled with his lances," she said. "And he controls the power of wind."

"How do you know this?" Sora asked, getting a little suspicious.

"I told you," she started as she turned her head slightly towards the boy. "I'm after the Organization, so I know a little about them."

Sora was about to speak more, but Donald called them to the battle. They took out their weapons, and heeded Aura's advice. She was hoping to fight with her keyblade, but because she didn't want to create attention towards her, she took out her sword. Her wrist hurt a bit from grabbing the lance, since it came at Marie at full force, but she was still able to fight. Xaldin looked at her, and seemed angry as he could get—how dare she turn against them! He recalled her saying she probably wouldn't have the satisfaction of eliminating him since she wouldn't be there, but now that she was, he was going to make sure _he_ gained the satisfaction of merging her with Marie and taking what was rightfully the Organizations. He spun his lances around him while floating towards the gang and Marie created a shield using her staff, but it didn't protect for very long, and everyone jumped out of the way. Sora came running in with his keyblade and managed to deflect a couple of lances, he then started attacking the man, with Donald gaining enough time to get a couple of thunder spells in. Marie followed in after, and raised her staff to cast some high leveled thunder spells. She really wished she could use her keyblade, but with the way things were, she didn't even know if it would be possible.

Xaldin kept his attacks strong and firm, and he was the quickest opponent that they ever had. Because of his wind power, he glided and dashed quite easily and effortlessly. It was hard to get some attacks in, and when they did they seized the moment. Xaldin looked over to Aura and glided towards her, she blocked a couple of the attacks he dealt, and for one of his stronger attacks brought up a magical blue shield to protect her. She noted how she had that ability, since she was connected to Kingdom Hearts and Marie, but never had to really use it until now. She blocked a couple of other attacks, and then he jumped up into the air. The gang waited for him to drop down, but when they heard the sound of his lances, they looked up to see all six of them falling down. Goofy blocked a couple with his shield while Marie and Donald created shields from their staffs, and protected both Sora and Beast. Aura again brought up her staff, and when all six of the lances fell, Xaldin appeared.

Beast took the opportunity to attack, and Xaldin suffered a couple of blows from it. Sora and Donald took this chance to prepare for a joint attack, and the duck jumped on Sora's back as he pointed his staff at Xaldin. Donald summed a couple of magical rockets, and they all headed towards Xaldin. Unable to block in time, he suffered a multitude of blows, but was still standing. Beast looked over to Sora, and they both nodded in understanding as Beast stood behind Sora. They both emitted a shockwave of light which temporarily blinded the Nobody, and ran up to him while dealing another set of punches and slashes. While even after those attacks, Xaldin still had a bit of fight in him. Aura took the chance and ran up behind the man and snapped her fingers, he then flew halfway across the field, and Goofy used his shield to throw him in another direction. Marie and Donald stood back-t0-back as they brought up their staffs and chanted their thunder spells, and both Sora and Beast came running in and dealt the last couple of attacks before Xaldin finally succumbed to his pains.

As he stumbled backwards, his lances surrounded him. They began lighting up, and he shouted in pain. Sora, Marie and the rest watched as he suffered, while Aura walked up to him. He still had just enough to look at her, and although the rest couldn't hear, he began to speak. "Now I seem… to see the resemblance… you and the young mistress have. Neither… of you… give up."

"I'm on the side that wants to live, that's why I haven't given up," she replied in a cold manner. She stared at the man in a stoic manner, and he let out another cry of pain. "You shouldn't have doubted me from the start. I am something to be scared of, and your carelessness got the best of you."

"Be that… as it may," he replied. He gave a half-laugh at the Nobody, and started to disappear slowly. Before completely leaving, he took one last look at Aura before speaking. "You'll never… get Roxas back."

As he disappeared, Marie came running up to them. She lowered her eyes a bit, and felt a bit of remorse for the man. She sighed, and watched the black smoke around the area Xaldin was disappear. "You know, I feel kinda bad about him. I know him from somewhere, but I can' really put my finger on it."

"His original name was Dilan," she replied low enough for only Marie to hear. The blonde in question widened her eyes once she remembered, but didn't do anything else. Instead, she placed her left hand over her right arm as she applied pressure on her right foot.

"That makes sense, I knew a Dilan back in Hollow Bastion. He was the castle guard, but…" she stopped and looked over to Aura. "How did you know his original name?"

"Like I said, I'm after these guys so I know a little about some of them," she told her. She sounded a bit irritated, so Marie didn't push any further. She figured she had her reasons to keep quiet, but she was wondering if Aura had her and the gang's best interest. They would be saving a lot of time if she told them everything she knew, but decided not to. She turned around and walked to Sora, Donald and Goofy as they watched Belle approach Beast.

"Here. It's yours again," she said as she gave back to rose. Beast only called out her name, and she looked away as she placed her hand near her chest. "I know. You want me to leave the castle."

Beast looked away, and everyone—Sora, Donald, Goofy, Marie and the furniture folk waited anxiously to see what he would say. It took a moment, but he looked back at Belle and sighed.

"What matters is… you weren't hurt by Xaldin…you're safe," he told her. "And… I'm very grateful to you… for bringing the rose back to me. Thank you."

Belle was genuinely happy to hear those words from him, and she told him that it was the least she could do. He had been really good to her, even though he didn't have to. He looked at her and wanted to say something, but looked at everyone else. Sora, the furniture folk, and everyone else encouraged him to continue, and Beast looked at Belle.

"Belle, I'd like you to stay…with me, please?" he asked. Belle gave another genuine and joyful smile. She stuck out her hand for him, and he happily returned the offer. They got into a waltz, and when the music appeared, they started to waltz around the courtyard. Everyone watched as they did, and Marie swooned over the romantic evening that blossomed. Sora looked at her from the corner of his eye, and gave a small smile at the fact that she seemed like such a romantic. Maybe it was because of Olette, but she really enjoyed such beautiful scenes. Aura just smirked at the two—maybe there was hope yet for them? She hoped so.

* * *

><p>D'aww, I love Beauty and the Beast, such a lovely movie. Well, that's one world and Nobody down, but I wonder why Xaldin didn't expose Aura? Maybe he knew better, or maybe he didn't care. I'm pretty sure he thought he was going to win. Poor Dilan…<p>

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Haha, she does! She still has a lot of other stuff to remember, but at least it's getting easier to remember, like just saying a name will bring up a memory. Poor Sora seems confused :/

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>Haha, I'm glad I got them all uploaded within a timely matter. Yes! I'm sure Axel is pleased, but when he disappears? I'll feel so bad for both Marie and Aura. Aww, demy! I hope he comes back; too, he was such an awesome character. Ah, well, it gets a lot more touching when she sees Ansem at the world that never was. ;-;

LOL yeah! I was like wuut Goofy you're so silly. XD and yes, Aura and Sora are going to definitely butt heads a lot. They're like the annoying brother and sister—and the fact that he feels intimidated by her should be interesting. :D go Axel!

**Lvl-ZeR0:  
><strong>Thanks! Glad you like the story, haha. And yeah, it took a while, but I wanted to write them all first and fix anything before sending them out since it dealt with a lot. X-X

**Dracula X:  
><strong>Haha, not everyone lost their shit, but I'll save that for another time I suppose. She's not staying for the whole time, just for a tiny bit. She eventually had to show herself a bit before the final battle ensued.


	46. We be pirates, mateys!

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-38350 2787

**Marie's staff:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Star-Rod-384177139?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y&qo=1

**A\N: **  
>How is the 3rd point of view going? Do you guys like it better than 1st?<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty<strong>**-Six  
><strong>**ଓ  
><strong>**We be pirates, mateys!**

Marie pressed a couple of buttons and watched the screen in front of her change. She wasn't really bad at computers, but she didn't like sitting in front of one for a long time. She sighed, and pressed a couple of more buttons until a chime was heard from the screen and she smiled. Doing Ryan's job of slight maintenance was such a bore, and she wondered what her cousin was doing. _Probably chasing after Yuffie_, she thought. She kept looking and pressing a couple of buttons, and Sora walked into the room and noticed her sitting alone. He figured that, despite all that was currently happening, a talk would do some good—plus he wanted to see how Marie was doing after getting her memory back.

"Hey," he called out. She turned and faced the boy, and gave a smile at him. The smile itself looked a little forced, and he could only imagine how much it must hurt to be in the same proximity as him, what with his feelings confusing him _and _her. He walked over and took a seat next to her, and she wondered what was up. "How are you feeling…? You know, with your memory back and all."

"It's not completely back," she said. He raised his eyebrow in confusion and she shook her head. "Well, stuff from last year I remember clearly, but I'm still missing a few spots from my past."

"You'll get them back, I know you will," he replied. She smiled, and looked up towards the window of the ship. The stars seemed to shine a bit brighter than before, and she was feeling a bit more hopeful than usual. It didn't have anything to do with her situation with Sora, but she recalled how Mickey had mentioned how Ansem was still alive somewhere and she wondered how he managed to stay alive. Sora watched as she smiled, and he wondered what was going through her head. "What's on your mind?"

"The King said that Ansem was still alive, right? I can't tell you how happy I am to know that," she told him. He gave a soft smile, and although the whole thing was still confusing about Ansem, he was glad that _someone_ in their group understood what was going on. "I wanna look for him and I wanna tell him how much I've missed him, but… I can't leave you guys. I _don't_ want to leave you guys. But I also feel like I'm no good, especially now that I can't use the Keyblade."

"But you'll always be useful to us," Sora explained. He blushed a bit when Marie turned to him, but he kept his cool and continued on. "I know how it was to not have the Keyblade… I was there, too. But I know you'll find that strength in your heart, because you're the strongest person I know, Marie."

"Sora…," she said. She gave him a gentle caring look, while he looked away. He knew he shouldn't be saying these things, especially with him trying to figure out his feelings, but he thought it was the truth and she deserved to know. She didn't know how she was 'the strongest person', but Sora didn't mean in physical strength. He knew there was many times where she gave a look of giving up, but time after time she stayed and fought. While she couldn't finish off a Heartless or Nobody in one fell swoop, and she definitely couldn't take the stronger ones on by herself, she fought regardless. This is what he thought at least, that her spirit seemed strong enough to prevail. Marie kept smiling, and swung her legs a bit at his compliment. "'I'm glad I can tell you how I feel about things, Sora. It's nice when you feel like this around someone."

"But…," he started. Her smile lowered a bit, and she knew where he was going to take the conversation. Nonetheless, her smile returned and she looked out towards the window again.

"It's fine, I want you to take your time," she told him. She lowered her head a bit, but her smile remained. "I'll be here no matter what, since we're all connected. Me, you, Kairi, Riku…we always find each other, even when we're not looking."

The computer screen started blinking, and they looked as the screen popped up. While they were talking, the ship was on auto-pilot and traveled to their next location. When the ship stopped Goofy and Donald nearly fell out of their hiding spot, and Donald almost gave their location away as he yelped. They wanted to know how Marie and Sora were doing, and they really didn't mean to spy, but Donald couldn't keep his ears away. They heard someone clear their throat and they looked up to see a mildly irritated Aura staring down at them, and Donald grew terrified. She walked away, and they both sighed out of relief. In truth, Aura listened in when Sora and Marie were talking, but she kept herself hidden pretty well. When the team gathered, they made their way down to Port Royal.

**ଓ**

Port Royal was a place where Aura didn't visit that often—maybe just once or twice, but she thought it looked pretty interesting. The pirates were pretty obnoxious though, and that Jack fellow was an interesting guy. When the team got to the world, they heard some fighting going on, and it sounded like it was coming fro the port. Once they made their way to the harbor, however, they saw Jack being surrounded by a couple of pirates.

"Zola! Some assistance!" he called out when he saw the spikey brunette. Marie giggled a bit, while Aura crossed her arms. They both looked at Sora, who blushed a bit at Jack forgetting his name. He corrected Jack, but the pirate turned around. "Will ye leave a mate to perish?"

"Aye aye…," Sora sighed. Before he could even take out his keyblade though, the three pirates surrounding Jack had all fallen with cries of pain. Jack, Sora, and everyone else looked in shock as Aura stood looming over the bodies of the boney pirates. She flipped her hair back into her hood, and looked over to the rest.

"You two talk too much," she said. Jack looked dumbfounded while Sora grew annoyed. This girl seemed to find new ways to drive him insane, and the fact that she was a pretty decent fighter didn't help very much. Donald and Goofy were just reminded that she was a very scary person, while Marie didn't really pay attention to her as she had her mind elsewhere.

"Hey, did you guys notice that those pirates were cursed?" she asked. The rest scratched their heads and came back from gawking and glaring at Aura. Marie looked at the pirates passed out on the floor, and when the moon disappeared they turned back to normal. "I thought the curse was lifted. What happened?"

She turned to Jack, who shrugged his shoulders and told her that someone must have taken the coins. Everyone minus Aura turned their heads towards Jack, who gave out an uncomfortable cough. A moment of silence filled in until he realized why they were all staring at him. "Oh, I see… you don't trust me, do you?" he asked.

The team just kept staring and Jack sighed, saying that it was a wise choice to be suspicious, since he himself held the title of pirate. Before anyone could say anything, Elizabeth came running in calling out their names, and Jack had a feeling something bad was afoot. He attempted to leave, but the woman told them that she needed their help.

"The cursed pirates have returned. Will had to find out why so he went to Isla de Muerta—to check on the treasure, but I hear something happened," she explained. She looked at them all with a pleading look. "You have to take me to him."

"Aye, there it is. If you'll be wanting him rescued, best do it alone, lass," Jack told her. She raised one of her eyebrows up and was in disbelief. She asked Jack if he really believed she could go and take on the cursed pirates herself, hinting at a bit of sarcasm, but the pirate looked at Aura. "Well, if any lass could…"

She wasn't certain if he was in trouble, but she wanted to see if he was alright. She was worried that he hadn't been home for a good while, and Jack couldn't help but be a bit jealous at having such a woman be worried for a man like Will Turner. After much negotiating Jack decided to help, with the help from Sora, Marie, Aura, Donald and Goofy. They boarded his Black Pearl and waited a while for it to start, and Aura looked out at the dark sea. She wondered what Riku was doing since that's all anyone in the group had been talking about, and she also wondered what Axel was doing. Now that they had taken out one of Organization XIII's stronger members, she wondered if they would have to get rid of Axel. If she hadn't left Organization XIII, would they be after her, too?

The ship started moving, and everyone minus Jack looked out into the sea. Marie didn't know why, but she loved the sound of waves, even in a damp, gloomy place like Port Royal. Sora walked up beside her and noticed she was leaning her elbows against the railing, and he wanted to check up on her. When he noticed her looking out into the sea, he stood in silence when he heard the waves, and it reminded him of home.

"The waves remind me of home," he said. Marie looked at him and then back at the sea. There was no doubt that it reminded them both of Destiny Islands, but she really wanted to see how it looked. She wondered how her home and street looked now, and she wondered what her aunt and uncle were doing. Would they still call her daughter? She would have to tell them about that when she goes home. Well…_if_ they made it home.

"Yea, they do," she said. It wasn't as pretty as the waves on Destiny Island, but she wasn't complaining. Before she could say anything else, Elizabeth gasped as she heard Goofy say the Interceptor was approaching. Everyone ran over to where Goofy was and they all saw Will leaning against the railing, presumably passed out. Elizabeth called out to him, while Jack placed his right over his heart as he lowered his head—to mourn the loss of Will.

"Stop that, Jack!" Elizabeth yelled at Jack's overly insensitive gesture, since the man wasn't dead. She looked over to the ship and watched as they brought Will down to the cabin, and then looked at everyone else. "We've got to rescue him!"

**ଓ**

While heading back to the Black Pearl after saving Will, they headed over to the cabin. Elizabeth bent down to pick him up, and shook him a bit to wake him. He opened his eyes a bit, and they fluttered as he looked at who was telling him to wake up.

"Elizabeth…," he called out in a low voice. She gave him a quick smile before asking what had happened, and Will looked up at the ceiling and recalled what he had seen. "The medallions…and…the stone chest—someone's taken them…Next thing I knew, we were attacked. But I couldn't see who it was—his face was shrouded…in a black hood."

Sora looked at Marie, Donald and Goofy as they nodded—it was the Organization. Will continued speaking and explained that they found a way out of the cave, but were attacked by monsters—most likely the Nobodies. He stopped taking after a while since he passed out, and Sora looked at everyone. He told them how it was their turn to move and they nodded while Elizabeth told them to go prepared.

"Pardon me, lads and lasses," Jack said as he looked at everyone. "But your captain will have no monsters today. Thank ye, we're turning for home."

He left to go upstairs, but quickly stopped when he looked at someone appear in black smoke. Sora ran up with everyone following behind, and Jack sarcastically told the man he didn't remember inviting him. Sora brought out his keyblade, and told Jack they had it under control, but the man stopped him.

"The darkness of men's hearts—drawn to these cursed medallions; and this Heartless—a veritable maelstrom of avarice: I wonder, are they worthy to serve Organization XIII?" the man said. Sora seemed a bit confused by the words the guy used, as well as everyone else, but Aura kept her guard. She knew only Luxord talked in that tone—that very annoying tone. Jack assumed he wanted an answer, and the man chuckled, "Precisely!"

He disappeared into his black portal, and everyone prepared for the fight. It was a Heartless that floated in the air with a blade hanging on a string, and if someone wasn't careful it could slice them in half. Sora quickly used his valor form and Goofy disappeared, while Marie and Donald focused on spells. Aura jumped around and swung her blade at the Heartless, and Jack threw a couple of bombs at the Heartless. Sora reverted back to his normal form, and it didn't take very long for the Heartless to fall. When it did, it fell overboard and created a big splash. Donald was overjoyed, but they weren't done yet. They looked over to the man in the hood, and he took off his hood—revealing a blonde man with a goatee and blue eyes.

"Throw him overboard," Jack commanded. Sora agreed, but the man shouted.

"Parley!" he shouted. Jack was taken aback, and Goofy asked what he meant.

"It's a bit of a pirates' code. Anyone who invokes "parley" must not be harmed 'til negotiations are complete," Jack said. They had no time to be following rules, but Jack was adamant. "True. But as we're honorable pirates we should always stick to the Code. All right, you. Out with it!"

"I surrender the chest with my humblest apologies," said the man. Jack was a bit surprised at the negotiations, but asked what he wanted in return, "Oh, just a few souvenirs… for the memories!"

He took a couple of medallions and threw them in the air while some Nobodies appeared and grabbed them, and they couldn't stop the curse unless they had _all_ of the medallions. The Nobodies flew into the water and merged into one giant Nobody with a giant scythe, and he spun it around to create a whirlwind headed straight at them. They all covered themselves from the wind, and it blew Marie against the wall of the door and she groaned in pain. Aura tried going towards her, but the wind was so strong that it blew her, along with everyone else, off the Black Pearl and onto the Interceptor. Marie got up and watched in horror as the man called the Nobody to fire at the ship, and it completely tore apart.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" she called out. She griped the railing and just watched, while Will and Elizabeth walked up from the cabin and watched as well. She brought a hand up to her chest and balled it up into a fist, and without thinking attacked the man. He was mildly caught off guard, but a small punch from a small girl didn't even hurt him at all, and she tried pushing him off. He merely slapped her down to the floor, and she groaned in pain. Elizabeth ran over to her while carrying Will and the man hovered over them, Marie felt a sudden pang of familiarity from the situation, and she couldn't help but remember something similar to this scene.

_The old man hovered over Marie, who was just four years old, and she grew suspicious. He promised her a ginormous gift, but so far the walk wasn't turning out so well. He had a very sly smile—it unnerved her to no end, and she brought her hands close to her chest. He brought up his arm and roughly grabbed her wrist, and the pain that came from it was unbearable. She screamed and shouted, and tried to kick the man, but it wasn't working. She didn't know how strong this guy was, and she wasn't much of a fighter to begin with. He still hovered over her, and told her to be quiet. She wasn't going to listen, and so she screamed even louder. For him, it was a good thing that he brought her to a secluded place, but she didn't like it. He tugged her wrist even harder, and she cried out in pain as it nearly popped her arm. He brought his other hand over her mouth, but her cries kept getting louder. He told her that if she wanted to live, she would stay quiet, and she lowered her voice. He gave a dark smirk as he dragged her along, and she whimpered when he grabbed her wrist, since the pain was becoming unbearable. Going through places and portals, the two eventually made their way towards Radiant Garden._

**ଓ**

Sora groaned as he got up from the wrecked Interceptor and looked around—the ship was definitely torn into shreds. Donald and Goofy were getting up as well, and they looked around to see Aura already standing and looking around. She had her arms crossed and didn't look very happy, but they were too afraid to ask what happened. Sora got up and made sure everyone was alright, but when he didn't see a certain coral pink figure, he got worried.

"Have you guys seen Marie? Did she get blown off the ship with us?" he asked. Aura walked from looking around and looked over to Sora and the rest.

"She got blown away, but not with us," she said. Sora was a bit confused, and Aura sighed at his inability to come up with theories. "In other words, she stayed on the ship. I saw her hit against the wall before we flew away."

"Oh no, if that Organization fella catches her, they'll use her for their plans!" Goofy stated. Sora and Donald grew incredibly worried, but Aura shook her head.

"Not likely," she said. Sora asked what she meant, and she looked the other way. "There's another piece to it, she's really only just one half."

"And the other?" Donald asked.

"I'm still looking for it," she lied.

"How do you know all of this?" Sora became suspicious and wondered what this girl was even after, since she knew a lot about Organization XIII and she even knew a bit about Marie. How on earth did she know that she fought with a Keyblade? How did she know that Marie was involved and how did she know that she was only one half of their plan? "Just who are you?"

"A Nobody," she answered. Sora, Donald and Goofy all gasped, wondering if she really was one, but she looked away and shook her head. "That is to say, I'm no one important. I told you that I was after the Organization, and the rest is none of your business. You should be worried about _him_."

She pointed at Jack, who wasn't listening and was turned around in skeleton form. Sora shouted and asked if he stole a medallion, but Jack turned around and told him that he would've been fortunate if he had. He explained that he must have touched the Nobody before being blown away, but questioned why the rest were still in their skins.

"'Cause we're not greedy!" Donald told him. Sora and Goofy stared at him, and a moment of silence filled in until Donald noticed their stares. "What're you looking at?"

They stopped looking at him, but were still confused about the whole thing. Goofy wondered if it was because they were not from Port Royal, and Donald pointed out that they probably had different laws. Jack walked away but listened to their conversations, and Sora wondered when they would see their own homes. Donald and Goofy gave a sad look towards the boy, while Aura merely wondered what he was even thinking. Or better yet, wondered what _Roxas_ was thinking.

"Just kiddin' you," Sora laughed as he looked at the two. He didn't want them to get worried about him, but he was still wondering when he would see his home. "Lucky we didn't get cursed, huh?"

"Quit yammerin', mates!" Jack shouted. He turned to the rest and explained how they needed to find a ship that would float. Aura walked out before them, and they followed in after. She wandered into her own mind and hoped that Luxord didn't actually take Marie back to The World That Never Was, since it would be a hassle getting her back. She couldn't send Sora, Donald and Goofy to the world either—even if she didn't really like them—because it would be too much for them to handle all of the members on their own. They made their way towards the dock of the island they were on, and noticed a Nobody holding one of the medallions. Jack was quick to fight the thing, with Sora, Donald and Goofy backing him up. Aura joined in only to make things quicker, and with the five of them the Nobody quickly fell. Jack grabbed the medallion, and had three more to go. They stopped when they saw the Black Pearl approaching, and both Elizabeth and Marie were waving at them.

"Ahoy, mateys!" Elizabeth shouted. Jack waved his hand and told her that she created a ridiculous imitation, but was still flattered. Marie was just incredibly happy to see them all alive and well, and when they boarded the ship she went to hug all three of them—Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"I thought you guys were goners!" she told them. She sighed in relief and let go of the hug, while Donald and Goofy started laughing. Sora smiled at her, while she smiled in return. Aura boarded the ship last, and was surprised to see her unharmed.

"Jack, what happened!? This is horrible!" Elizabeth shouted when she saw Jack in his skeleton form. Jack was ready to blame her, but Will shook his head and told him that she had nothing to do with it.

"It's Organization XIII," Sora told them. They were the ones who did it all, and Goofy wondered where they headed off too.

"Well…" Marie started as she placed a finger on her chin.

**ଓ**

_"Now, to take what is ours," the man in the hood said. Marie brought her hands up to her chest and closed her eyes for a moment—what could she do? She looked around to see if she could use anything to distract him, but a bunch of barrels that were too heavy for her didn't seem fair. He brought out his hand, and everything felt slow. His hand started reaching out to her slowly, and she just took out her staff and quickly attacked his hand away. He winced a bit in pain, but quickly composed himself as he glared at the girl. She was standing and ready to fight but he knew better to fight her—she was rather important. "Don't waste your time. Just admit defeat," he said._

_"Why do you guys need me so much?" she asked. He chuckled, and explained how she pretty much was a missing piece to Kingdom Hearts. Without her the power wouldn't be complete, and it's what they wanted to make themselves complete. Marie just grabbed her head. "First I'm the body and soul of it, then I'm a key, now I'm legit part of it!? Which is it?"_

_"How about a 3-in-one?" he replied. He snickered and she glared at his joke. It was no time to be dealing with such things, and she was really getting confused. He grew serious, and stuck out his hand again. "Now, to take you to our leader—"_

_"Back off!" she shouted. She had her staff in her hand, and he noticed a heart glowing on her forehead. She was really angry, and glared even harder at the man. "This is no one's power to control—no one has the right to own it!"_

_While she was right, she couldn't deny the fact that she was born with a bit of its power, so technically she owned a bit of it. Even so, she was not an evil person looking to gain its power for personal use, and whether she was the body and soul, a key, or even a part of the damn thing she was going to protect it. The heart on her forehead glowed brighter, and a bright shield appeared around her, Will and Elizabeth. It grew too close to the man and managed to slightly burn the tip of his finger when he tried defending himself, so he quickly grabbed his Nobodies and Heartless and ran through his portal. Everything was brought back to normal once he left, and Marie gave a huge sigh in relief. _

**ଓ**

"Wow, you managed to keep him away!" Donald shouted, surprised that the blonde used her powers without having to faint. Marie smiled and nodded, but they were all still surprised—Donald, Sora and Goofy, that is.

"I think I'm getting better," she said, but the moment she looked up she felt a bit dizzy. The others looked worried, and she laughed nervously while she placed her hand on her forehead. "Well… at least I didn't faint."

"It was certainly in impressive light," Elizabeth commented. She looked at the rest, and explained how they needed to collect the medallions, and everyone agreed. Since they saw one on the island they were on, they started there.

* * *

><p>Glad to know that Marie is getting the hang of her Kingdom Hearts power, and Luxord revealed a bit about her role. She still doesn't know what she is to the thing, but it'll be an ongoing plot throughout the story. All I know is, she never gets to willingly use the power on her own—only when it resonates to her situations, or when Stella wants to lend a hand.<p>

**Lvl-ZeR0:  
><strong>Thank you! Sadly today I only came out with one chapter. 'Twas quite busy.


	47. Pirates of the Caribbean

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-38350 2787

**Marie's staff:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Star-Rod-384177139?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y&qo=1

**A/N:  
><strong>Say bye to having Aura join us in the next chapter! We also get very lovey-dovey with Marie and Sora in the next chapter!

**Disclaimer:  
><strong>I don't own this chapter's title, nor do I own the title for Beauty and The Beast. :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty<strong>**-Seven  
><strong>**ଓ  
><strong>**Pirates of the Caribbean**

After collecting the medallions, everyone gathered and thought of what to do next. Will explained that if they could find the hooded man they'd be able to find the chest, and Sora figured he'd be in Port Royal. Elizabeth didn't understand, but the boy explained. "Organization XIII is after people's hearts, so they're gonna go where there's lots of people," he said.

"They'll hurt the townsfolk?"

"No, they're bringin' 'em flowers, mate," Jack sarcastically replied. "I don't know who these Organizers are, but I will say they're makin' we pirates looks like proper gents."

The Captain was obviously angered by this and walked away, but Aura thought something a bit differently. If Organization XIII really wanted to be 'whole' why couldn't they just try harder to kidnap her and Marie? There had to be something more in their schemes, but what that was…she didn't know. Still, she made it apparent that she wasn't going to share this with everyone else—she didn't want to put things into people's head since she herself wasn't sure.

The ship sailed and everyone waited until they got to Port Royal. Once there, everyone ran off it and headed towards the center of the town. There they saw the giant Heartless with the scythe in its hand, to which Jack distracted while Sora threw in the medallions in the chest.

"The curse—it's gone!" Donald pointed at the Heartless, who didn't have his flames surrounding him. Jack was still in his skeleton form and wondered why that was, but Goofy understood now. He explained that the Heartless was the one who cursed him, not from taking the gold. The Heartless roared, and swung his scythe around. Everyone jumped out of the way, and watched as some of the gold flew out of the chest. Sora took out his keyblade along with everyone else, while Will attended to finding the gold.

The Heartless in question was a tough opponent, since he swung his blade around a lot. Aura looked at the monster, and tried reading its moves, but since it ran around a lot it was a bit hard. Marie focused on healing and using her magic, while Sora, Jack and Aura dealt the most damage. Sora used his valor form to attack the Heartless, while Aura got a good opening to attack it. She ran up to it and quickly threw her sword into it and took the chance to grab the scythe from it while spinning it around. She threw it up into the air and Sora grabbed it after jumping, and swung it around at the Heartless. She never understood how well they were together in battle, but she figured it was Roxas' side helping out. Still, she ignored this and caught the scythe when Sora dropped it back down. She hit the Heartless a couple of times before it eventually grabbed its weapon back, and both Donald and Marie came in with their magic.

Goofy blocked a couple of attacks for Sora after parting from his valor form, and the boy jumped up to attack the Heartless a couple more times. Jack came in with some bombs and attacked the monster as well, but he mostly focused on causing it distractions so that the rest could attack it. After a couple of more intense hits and blocks from Sora, Aura and Jack, they were able to defeat the Heartless and get all the coins in time. As soon as it fell, Jack also returned to his skinned self—with much happiness as well. He kissed his hand to take in that fact, and Sora was pleased to know that he was all better.

"Ah, not quite, mate," Jack said. He turned to find the man in the hood collecting the heart from the Heartless, and congratulated Sora on defeating it. They all tried running up to him, but he quickly disappeared. Jack placed a hand on Sora's shoulder and looked down at him. "Just who was that chap?"

"He's part of an Organization that's collecting hearts. First they release Heartless into different worlds. We defeat those heartless, and then they get the hearts," Sora said as he looked down. He was incredibly distressed about the ordeal. "We're never gonna stop 'em like this."

"What's the plan, then?" Jack asked. The gang told them that they had to get to their hideout and defeat them all once and for all. Aura felt a little uncomfortable hearing that only because of Axel, who was still very much a close person to her. Jack was intrigued by their story, but Will and Elizabeth wanted to know if there was any way they could help.

**ଓ**

They team all sailed out into the sea with the treasure, and once they were far in, they dumped it off into the ocean. It was certain that Port Royal didn't need trouble from the Organization or the Heartless, but Jack only wanted them gone because pirates would no longer be true threats.

"They'll ruin the market for us pirates," he explained. Elizabeth sighed, and knew there was a reason why he came to Port Royal. She really thought he wanted to save everyone, but he was only in it for profit. Sora even felt like he was turning over a new leaf. "The question is, what's beyond the leaf? Savvy?"

"Oh…oh yes—a reward. And what'll it be?" Elizabeth looked at him when he made gestures of wanting something in return. Jack looked over to Sora and Marie, but more so at Sora. There was something he wanted alright…

"That lovely blade of Sora's," he pointed out. Donald and Goofy were shocked, but Sora, Marie and even Aura knew that it wasn't possible. Still, Sora decided to give it to him anyways. He took it out and handed it over to Jack, but the Captain pirate was a bit skeptic. "Hold on! That was far too easy. What's the rub?"

He took the blade from Sora's hand, and looked at the beauty up close. Not even a minute passed by and the blade returned back into Sora's hand. "There, you see?" Jack said, knowing that there was a catch.

"Well, you always got the pearl, Jack," Sora told him. Jack was glad to have his ship, but he did warn Sora that he was going to gather a blood-thirsty crew and take the keyblade, and would be able to wield when the time came.

"And if I succeed, I'll ask you two to join me. That'd be reward enough," he finished. Elizabeth gave her word, but Will wasn't really looking forward to it.

"Maybe someday, Jack will be able to use the keyblade after all," Goofy mentioned. Marie and Donald looked at him and wondered why. Goofy just laughed. "A-hyuk! He and Sora are kind of alike, dontcha think?"

Marie looked at the two, who listened in on Goofy's conversation. They both brought up their hands and waved them as they shook their heads, even saying they weren't anything near like each other at the same time. They looked at each other for a moment until laughter broke out from everyone—well everyone but Aura. She just stood there and watched as these people laughed, which brought her back to memories of her, Roxas and Axel sitting atop the clock tower at Twilight Town just laughing.

It was times like that that she really wished things didn't have to go and change the way they did, but nothing in this world every stayed the same, and she had to accept that. Everyone continued laughing, and she gave a soft sigh as she just watched. Marie leaned against Goofy's shoulder as they laughed while watching Sora act like a pirate. Donald joined in with him, and Jack was getting a bit embarrassed at their mediocre acting. Elizabeth and Will stood by each other as they watched, and gave soft bits of laughs or chuckles along the way.

Maybe Aura would be laughing if she really was somebody instead of a Nobody, but as she felt the end come near, would she still be herself? There were times where Naminé told her they wouldn't disappear, just that they would be whole, but she thought of Roxas. Even if he became whole, she still couldn't see him or talk to him. Not that she was really wanting to, since she was still a bit angry with him, but no one would see her.

No one would see 'Aura'.

**ଓ**

Everyone was back on the Gummi ship and flying to the next world, but Aura still couldn't get the idea of disappearing out of her mind. She never thought being around Marie or Sora would produce this type of thinking, and she really thought they would be doing a bunch of stupid things. Well, along the way of fighting they had their bits of silliness, but she never really knew just how serious it was for them. She also wondered how Riku and Axel were doing, since she hadn't seen the two in a while. She sighed when she thought of Riku—she left being very angry with him, but never got the chance to talk to him again. Why would it matter? She was a Nobody, so no one cared.

She stood near the center of the ship, and overheard Sora talking with Goofy and Donald. Marie was in her room, probably catching up on some sleep from her dizziness, so she was with the three stooges. She looked over to them and noticed Sora having distressed look on his face, since Donald and Goofy brought up Marie and Kairi.

"So do you have an answer?" Donald asked. Sora looked down at the floor, and couldn't really choose. He didn't even know how it got so far, but his heart was torn between them two. Kairi was a great girl and she was with him and Riku as they grew up, but it also brought about the fact that she seemed more of a childhood friend than anything else. He could still tell her everything, and she was fun to be with. She was nice, thoughtful, and got along great with almost anyone, and she cared a lot for both him and Riku. She also knew him very well, which was something Marie didn't know, and he knew her very well, too. There was no doubt that he could really depend on her, and that she'd welcome them home with a smile on her face.

It was a little different with Marie though, since she was relatively new to him. They had something in common from the start, which was Riku, but as time passed it was really just her that got him. She was sweet and optimistic, and from the start she had always been so cheerful, even with her memory bugged out. She was definitely playful and full of smiles last year, but he noticed that she became a lot more serious, but then again, he changed a bit too. But as with Kairi, she cared a lot for him and Riku and she was definitely very dependable and he knew she had his back. The only thing he really wasn't sure was her connection to Kingdom Hearts and her past, and he feared that something from it will eventually pull her away. Would he want to set himself up for tragedy?

Aura stopped looking and walked up closer, which brought Sora out of his mind. His mood was a bit lowered when she came, but she wasn't going to start anything. She crossed her arms and decided to offer some words of 'wisdom' to the brunette boy.

"I'm not one to go into someone's business, but this thing with Marie and Kairi…," she started. Sora raised his eyebrow and was surprised she even knew about it, but decided not to speak up. He figured it was bound to get to her ears anyways. "…I know that, if you wait too long, it could be too late."

"What do you mean?" he asked. She looked away, and found it odd how she was talking to Roxas about waiting too long. Well, he was Sora, but he was still Roxas.

"Marie _or_ Kairi might not be around by the time you figure things out," she told him. She closed her eyes behind her hoodie, and remembered the time Marie disappeared last year. "One of them could disappear… and they'd never find out how you felt about them."

Sora, Donald and Goofy were getting a bit suspicious about Aura now, since they also remembered Marie disappearing. She spoke with rather specific string of words, and they wondered about the girl. They didn't know who she was, and she came out if nowhere with an attitude. For the most part, though, they knew she had no hostilities towards them or Marie, who seemed to be the main target of Organization XIII. Sora just couldn't get it out of his head though. "What do you mean… disappear?" he asked.

"Exactly what it means. Whether if they disappear into the darkness, or just disappear from existence, they could be gone before your eyes…and all you're left with is a lingering feeling that you could've said something to make them not go," she spoke with a notable hint of sadness. It was obvious to her that she was relating to her relationships with Axel and Roxas, and she wanted to let it go…but she couldn't. Those times with them were the only good thing about her pathetic existence, but they were killing her. "Nothing stays the same, so why should you expect time to wait for you?"

Sora, Donald and Goofy stood in silence for a moment, and really thought about what she said. This was the most emotion they got from her, and they didn't really expect something as sad as that from her. As much as Sora didn't like her from the start, she definitely had their back when they fought, and he had to give her that much. Maybe they could be friends or…friendly rivals, as he and Riku once were. He instead walked up to the girl and smiled at her while sticking out his hand.

"We got off to a bad start, I think. What do you say we start over?" he said as she looked down at his hand. She wasn't really sure if she should shake his hand, but maybe Sora was the key to laying her past to rest. She stuck out her hand a bit hesitantly, and when she held Sora's he tilted his head a bit and quickly let go and looked at it. Donald and Goofy wondered what was going on, but then Sora looked up at her. "Aura…"

"Who's that?" Goofy asked. Sora kept looking at the girl in front of him, who had her face covered with her hood. The handshake felt so familiar, and he didn't know how he knew her name.

"It's her name, isn't it?" he asked as he pointed at Aura. Donald and Goofy were surprised to know that he knew her name as well. Marie popped out from her room yawning, and she noticed everyone crowded by the center of the ship. She wondered what was going on and walked over to them, but they all stayed the same.

"Yes, Aura is my name," she told them. Marie raised her eyebrow, and wondered why she was telling them her name, but then Sora looked down at the floor.

"How come I know your name?" he asked. Marie walked over to Donald and Goofy and asked what had happened, and they filled her in. She seemed a bit shocked that Sora knew her name without having anyone to tell him, but figured it had something to do with the boy named Roxas, or how he cried when they first left Twilight Town. She mentioned it to Donald and Goofy, and they wondered the same thing.

"I really don't know why you know my name," she lied. It wasn't the time to tell them what she knew, and although it contradicted what she told Sora earlier, this really wasn't the time. She moved her head a bit, and looked down towards the floor—maybe staying with these guys was revealing too much. She closed her eyes, and although she was starting to get used to them, she knew what she had to do. "In any case, we should get going. Time doesn't wait, after all."

Sora stared at her for a while, but ultimately agreed. He knew better than to keep asking, since he already knew what her answer would be. He, Donald and Goofy walked over to their seats, while Marie stared at Aura for a moment. There was something deeper with this girl and everything connected to Organization XIII. She knew a bit _too_ much in her opinion, and the fact that she couldn't relay information to them, or told them it was none of their business really made the blonde think.

_'Just who is Aura? Where is she from? Why is she helping us? What's her connection to Organization XIII and why does she wield a keyblade?'_

* * *

><p>Aura really questions her identity in this chapter. She doesn't want to 'disappear' like Roxas and become someone who sees her only as Marie. She wants to be 'Aura' and she wants people to see her as such. Will she just disappear from existence when this is all over?<p>

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Your wish will be granted soon enough. :3 but more on Sora's end than Marie's.

**Lvl-ZeR0:  
><strong>Thank you :3 I shall try my best to make them awesome!


	48. Decisions and demise

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-38350 2787

**A/N:  
><strong>This chapter will deal with some pretty drastic things. Say bye to Aura and Marie for a while… As well as Fakey for that matter.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty<strong>**-Eight**

**ଓ**

**Decisions and demise**

The team reached their next world, which was the Olympus Coliseum. Aura remembered when she first saw Demyx strolling around here, and she sighed. She was going to miss the guy, since she really thought he meant no harm—and he really didn't. He was just really laid back and hated fighting. When they reached the entrance to the underworld, they met up with Hercules and Meg.

"Herc! You feeling any better?" Sora asked as they walked up towards them. He wasn't really feeling all that great, and Meg told them that he was pretty sure his hero days were over. Phil thought otherwise, and told the hero that it was all in his head. Goofy told them that everyone thought of him as a hero.

"That's right…Blunderboy. How can you mope on a momentous day like today?" a very familiar voice belonging to a certain underworld God said. "The Underdrome's back, and you are gonna fill the stands. After all, your fans won't settle for anything less than a certified hero."

He wrapped his arm around Hercules' shoulder, and told him he could always lose in the competitions, but it was out of the question for the hero. Sora even interjected saying he was just wanting his own selfish ways.

"Hey, I'm not a selfish guy. I'm not like those high and mighty snobs up on Olympus," he told them. Obviously, they weren't buying it, but Hades continued. "I stand for the masses! And have I got a massive idea!"

He introduced the games of the 'ultimate coliseum' and questioned who would be the Ultimate Hero, and told Hercules he had to be there or something would happen to Meg. He disappeared into his puff of smoke, and Aura already grew annoyed with the God. His two little underlings stood waiting for them to sign up, and although they didn't like the idea of following orders, they did it so that Meg wouldn't be harmed. Of course, only the men went and signed up.

"Are you not gonna sign up?" Aura asked as she looked at Marie with crossed arms. Sora came in and told her that Marie didn't like fighting in tournaments, and the blonde scratched her head.

"Don't you remember last year? I was just sitting on the bleachers and we got dragged fighting Sephiroth," she told him. Sora laughed and Marie sighed, still a bit scarred from that experience. Nonetheless, she looked over to him and gave him a hug. He jumped a bit at the sudden gesture, but returned the hug eagerly. "Just because it's Hades' personal coliseum doesn't make it any less dangerous. Good luck!"

"I'll come back, don't worry," he told her. He dug his face into her shoulder, and Aura cleared her throat. They parted from the hug, and he remembered what Aura told him about time. He really needed to think, and hopefully fighting off some baddies would help him. He waved at Aura and Marie as he left with Donald, Goofy and Hercules to see the listings board. They noticed that Auron was in the tournament, and Goofy feared they would have to face him in the finals. Hercules wondered if he was a hero, but Sora didn't know. "Well, I don't think he's a bad guy…but you're the only hero around here, Hercules. You know that."

Donald and Sora had to yell for him to stop when he started doubting himself, and the hero just sighed. They entered the coliseum once everything was set up, and the girls watched from outside. Marie looked over to Aura, who had her arms crossed and her hoodie covered her face—like always.

"Aura, why don't you fight?" she asked the brooding brunette. Aura scoffed and told her that it was just a silly competition to prove who was better, and she had better things to use her energy on. Marie sighed, and wished she was strong so she wouldn't have to embarrass anyone with her weakness.

"Then stop moping around and get to it," she told the blonde. Marie wanted to, but she couldn't wield the keyblade at the moment. Aura didn't care though. "I was talking to Sora on how time waits for no one…even if you can't wield the keyblade, that shouldn't stop you. You do have powers from Kingdom Hearts, right?"

"Yeah, but… how do you know that?" Marie asked. She was really getting irked by how much Aura knew about everything and the girl in question just shifted a bit.

"I told you how I was after Organization XIII and I know they want your power," she told her. "Or at least, if they control you they have control of Kingdom Hearts. This is precisely why you need to get stronger, Marie. You can't expect people to fight for you all the time."

"I know…"

"Do you? There's a difference between saying you will, and actually doing," she told her. Marie looked away, shamed about her inability to fight. Aura sighed, and continued watching as Sora and the boys reached the semi-finals. The fight wasn't long since they were fighting a bunch of tiny Heartless, and Sora was incredibly happy they finished.

"We made it to the finals!" he cheered. Donald was excited, and knew that if they won they would all be heroes. Goofy chuckled and knew there was a reason those two were happy, but Sora didn't want to be a junior hero forever. Hercules looked over to the door, and noticed Auron standing by it. They turned and called out to him, but the man didn't know who they were.

"I must defeat you and atone for my crimes," said Auron. Sora tried calling out to him again, but the man left. He faced Donald and Goofy and wondered what was going on, and decided to check up on him. They left the coliseum, and saw Marie and Aura walking towards Auron.

"Oh, hey it's Auron!" Marie called out. He didn't acknowledge her at all, and she wondered what was going on. She also noticed he seemed a bit angry, and Aura crossed her arms.

"He always looks angry," she noted. They watched as the man in red walked further away from the arena and towards the door leading to the underworld. Sora walked up to Marie and Aura, and Marie asked if they spoke with Auron.

"Yeah, something weird is going on," Sora said. They told the girls how they were going to investigate, and they all agreed. They followed Auron past the door and quickly hid behind a wall, with Donald almost giving away their cover. They peered over to the man standing in front of Hades, who was talking to him.

"Okay, let's review. State your crime, prisoner," Hades asked. Auron told him that the mere fact that he existed was a crime. He sounded very monotone, and Sora wondered why before being quieted by Donald. They continued to listen. "Okay, you made one lousy mistake: you exist. But hey, I'm a forgiving guy. You keep your end of the deal, and I'm willing to overlook a transgression or two," the God said.

"I understand. Defeat Hercules."

"And his meddling friends," Hades added. Auron argued that he was only supposed to fight Hercules, but Hades crossed his arms. "Oh, don't tell me you've forgotten who's in charge?" he took out a miniature statue of Auron and placed his other hand on his shoulder. "Hercules and those punks, are we clear?"

Upon closer inspection, the gang noticed that Hades was using his power to control Auron with the doll, and hid completely when Auron started walking back. They walked outside as well, but stopped to talk about what they saw.

"So that's how he's controlling him!" Sora stated. Donald called him a couple of names, but Goofy reminded him that bad names were compliments to the God. "I can't stand seeing Auron do that lowlife's bidding… we've got to help him!"

Auron walked passed them and Sora tried calling him, but the man just walked right on through. He got on the boat heading to the arena, and Hercules walked up to them. "What's wrong, Sora?"

"Auron's in trouble! It's like Hades brainwashed him!" Sora said. Goofy added the fact that he was using a statue, and Hercules placed a finger on his chin when it sounded very familiar to him. He told them that Hades was possibly using the statue to hold Auron's free will hostage.

"What do we do?" Donald asked. It was simple; they had to find the statue. It was likely that it was somewhere in the Underworld. When the team were about to walk away, Hades appeared and nearly spooked them all.

"Tell me you're not thinking of leaving, you've got a match coming up," Hades told them. Hercules filled in the position and told Hades he would fight Auron one on one, which greatly intrigued the Underworld God. He turned around to think about it, and Hercules whispered to Sora that he would stall while fighting to buy them time. The young man didn't really want to leave Hercules alone, but the hero had full confidence in him. Hades turned around and accepted the deal, but had one condition. "The Keyblader, here, and his trusty friends have to meet the winner in one final clash, whaddya say?"

Hercules agreed, and Hades expected it to be big. He promised the crowed the event of their afterlives, and Aura rolled her eyes at how cocky this guy was. Hercules mounted the boat with Hades, and they made their way towards the arena. Sora looked at everyone, and they all made their way towards the Underworld's cave.

**ଓ**

They made it towards Hades' chamber, and almost immediately, Sora saw the statue of Auron on the table. He ran over to it, and looked at it. "Got it!" he shouted.

He placed his hand on it and was instantly shocked. Marie gasped, and saw Goofy running up to him. "Wait, Goofy—"she was interrupted when he touched Sora's arm and was also electrocuted. Aura walked in with Donald, and when the duck saw both Sora and Goofy being electrified he ran over to help. Marie's eyes widened as she tried reaching out to him, "Donald, don't—"

But it was too late. As he touched Goofy he was also electrocuted, and Aura placed her hands on her hips as Marie watched with her hand close to her mouth. "Really? Are you guys that dumb?" Aura said as she gave out an exasperated sigh, but quickly stopped when she heard Auron's voice.

_"It is not too late! Let us turn back!"_

_"Where is the sense in all this?"_

_"But… there must be another way!"_

_"Your deaths will mean nothing!"_

_"You must live!"_

The electrocution stopped before Auron's voice was heard, and Sora looked down at the statue. "I get it. This is what belongs in Auron's heart."

"Gawrsh, he musta had a pretty rough life," Goofy added. It seemed like that way, but it was obvious that Auron's experiences are what made him stronger. Donald suggested giving it back to him, but before any of them could move a horde of Nobodies sprung out. Sora was quick to take out his keyblade, while everyone followed close behind.

They were just the white dusks, and while they were able to get rid of some, even more appeared. They all huddled around in the center of the room, and when the dusks got closer; a couple of dog-looking Heartless came biting the dusks. It was a bit confusing to see, but Sora didn't care. "Not what I had in mind, but I'll take it!" he told them.

"We better skedaddle!" Goofy announced. They quickly ran out of the room with Auron's statue, and made their way through the cave and towards the arena. Meg and Phil were already there, and when they saw Auron almost about to defeat Hercules, they called out to him.

"Hey, Auron! This belongs to you!" Donald shouted as Sora stuck out the statue. He threw it over Auron's head, and the statue disappeared into mist. It returned to Auron, who came to his senses, and he dropped his sword. He looked over to the team, and called out their names. They were pretty happy to see him return to normal, but a very angry God was not.

"Why those little—ugh, prisoner! What happened to our mutual agreement?" Hades asked Auron. "I can give you a clean slate, but you gotta work with me."

"Maybe you didn't hear me," Auron turned towards the God and glared at him as he gave him some words he would not forget. "This is my story, and you're not part of it."

Hades disappeared, leaving a ring of fire in his place, only to return to the arena to look at them all. He was not pleased at all, and told them that the game was over. He confessed that he wanted Hercules to lose, but told them that it was still a fair fight. Sora, Donald and Goofy laughed at his idea of a fair fight, and Hades just smirked. "Laugh all you want, because it ends here. We're gonna play by _my_ rules."

A door opened up behind Hades, and revealed a pool of green mist. Meg screamed, and everyone watched as she disappeared from Phil and appeared floating over the misty pool. Hercules called out to her, but Hades stopped him. "Hey, I warned you right at the get-go. You don't compete, you lose the girl."

Meg stopped floating, and fell into the pool. Hercules screamed, ran and jumped in after her. Everyone just watched as he did, but Hades just smirked as the door closed behind him. "Looks like Wonderboy has dropped out of the standings."

Sora glared at Hades as he brought out his keyblade, and a barrier appeared while knocking Marie, Aura and Phil out of the arena. "Hey, what gives!?" Marie shouted.

"Oh, so sorry. Did you forget? You never _signed up_." Hades started chuckling while Marie and Aura glared at him. Phil was just as angry, and told Sora to kick him where it hurt. They watched as they started fighting Hades, but after a while they realized that nothing seemed to hurt him.

"We're not even hurting him!" Sora shouted. Goofy wondered why, but Auron told them that it was his Underworld. Hades laughed, but stopped when he saw the door behind him open up.

"I think a true hero should be able to help." Hercules appeared before them all glowing as a true hero should. He had Meg in his arms, safe and sound, and smiled at Hades. "I owe you one Hades. I didn't hesitate to give my life for Meg's. And then, I remembered: A true hero is measured by the strength of his heart."

He looked over to Sora, and gave him a wink. They were just glad he was alright, but Hercules gave a chuckle as he took a glance at Meg. "Hey, people do crazy things when they're in love."

Sora, Donald and Goofy started giggling at Hercules' confession, and Marie swooned over it. Aura raised her eyebrow, and was suddenly feeling nauseous at the love fest that this battle started becoming. Hades was furious at this point, and told them to stop laughing. Meg flew back to Phil, Marie and Aura on Pegasus, while they watched Sora, Hercules and the rest fight Hades.

**ଓ**

Marie and Aura continued to watch Sora and the others fight Hades, and so far luck was on their side. They were able to use his fire against him, and created aura spheres to attack him with. Auron was attacking him head on with his sword, and dealt some serious damage; while Donald and Goofy did their usual with defending and casting spells. The most damaging of all was Hercules, who had everything under his control. With his newly replenished self, he was fighting with all his might. Sora turned into his forms a couple of times, which greatly helped in the fight. Marie couldn't help but cheer, while Phil offered words of encouragement. Sora and Hercules attacked Hades a couple of times, with Donald healing constantly, and they were able to defeat Hades.

The God in question was seriously injured, and Sora ran to deal a last strike—but missed as Hades disappeared towards the misty pool. "It's…not over… yet!" he moaned.

As he kept walking backwards, he tripped over his cloth, and fell off the ledge and into the pool. He screamed in pain and agony as the spirits dragged him down below, and when the barrier went away Marie and Aura walked over to them. They cringed a bit at Hades' screaming, but when it stopped they sighed. Everyone stepped off of the arena and Hercules, Meg and Phil went up towards the coliseum for a bit, while Auron stayed down below for a bit.

"What'cha gonna do now?" Donald asked the man in red.

"I lived my life defending others, but now… there's no one left to protect," Auron looked up towards the air, and thought about it for a moment. "Maybe… it's time I shaped my own story."

"Yeah… you deserve it, Auron—after everything you've been through," Sora told him. Marie, Donald and Goofy agreed, and Auron gave a chuckle.

"I suppose I should thank you," Auron said. Sora waved his hands, and told him he didn't have to, and Auron turned around as he spoke, "Fine."

Sora, Donald and Goofy dropped their shoulders as Marie giggled, and Sora stuttered a bit as he spoke. "I mean, sure, you could thank us a little..."

Auron was still turned around, but told them that they should say what they mean. He faced them after, and decided to spare a few words. There was a short silence that filled the air, until Auron opened his mouth. They waited for him to say thank you, but that was far from it.

"Thanks for meddling."

Sora, Donald and Goofy dropped their shoulders again, while Aura smirked. The man wasn't so bad, and he walked up towards the coliseum as well. He was going to shape his story, but it was true that he couldn't have gotten through his last predicament without Sora and his friends. He gave a small smirk as he walked away, but Sora was left there to wonder what Auron meant by meddling.

**ଓ**

Up above the coliseum, Hercules and Meg were getting warmer towards each other, while Donald and Sora were bugging Phil asking if they were heroes yet. Everything seemed pretty normal, and Sora, Donald and Goofy got the pleasure of seeing themselves among the stars—much to Phil's displeasure.

"Sorry to crash the party." Everyone turned towards the entrance of the coliseum to see Marie, or rather, fake Marie. Her hair was unevenly cut short below her ears, and she seemed a bit more menacing than before. True to her words, she crashed the party and everyone got on their toes. She started running, and kicked Sora, Donald and Goofy down to the floor as she did, and quickly grabbed Marie. She brought a simple sword up to her neck, and Marie gasped. Aura was quick to take out her sword, and Sora got up with his keyblade out. She flicked her hair back and looked at everyone. "Like my haircut? I decided to get _original_."

"Hey, let her go!" he shouted. The fake Marie just laughed, and pressed the blade a little closer to Marie's neck. The blonde was scared to even breath for fear of getting sliced, and the fake looked at everyone.

"Now, see, I'm just here to get what I want," she told them. She looked over to Aura, who glared at the girl in return. "I know you'll come running after, so there's no need to get you."

"What is she talking about?" Hercules asked while getting into his fighting stance. Sora grunted, but Aura was the one to tell him who she was.

"She's a copy sent out by Organization XIII to get Marie, and to also collect hearts using her keyblade," Aura told them. Sora was surprised she knew so much, but now wasn't the time to be asking questions. "But from the looks of it, you can't wield the keyblade. You're a fake after all—nothing compared to the original."

"I could say the same for you…" the fake said while getting annoyed. She looked around and smirked. "But you should know that I am stronger, and I'll even give you the benefit of the doubt. I'll be waiting at the Underworld, since this place is just too bright for me, and if you can fight me, I'll let her go. But we both know that's not possible. Still, I'll let you try."

"Wait!" Sora shouted. The fake smirked, and told him she only expected to see Sora, Donald, Goofy and Aura as she left. She disappeared into her portal, and Aura growled at the fake. They had no time to waste, and Aura created a portal of her own. Sora, Donald and Goofy were shocked to see it look the same as Organization XIII and Sora was getting really suspicious, but Aura shook her head.

"There's no time, Marie is in danger!" she shouted. She was right, and Sora ran into the portal without hesitation. Donald and Goofy followed him in, with Aura running in after. Hercules, Meg and Phil were left to wonder what was going on, but quickly ran down towards the entrance of the Underworld.

**ଓ**

"Well, well. You made it… though I expected you to come a little later," the fake Marie laughed as she roughly grabbed Marie back with her. They watched as her blade kept close to Marie's neck, and Sora began to worry.

"Wait, stop! I'll go, just don't hurt them!" Marie shouted. She was grabbing the fake's arm, and Sora questioned why Marie would go. The blonde gave a wink at Sora, and pointed down towards her legs as she made a movement of kicking. He, along with everyone else, quickly caught on, and played along with Marie.

"Yeah…we'll let you have Marie," Sora said.

"We don't mind!" Goofy added.

"Just don't hurt us!" Donald came in after. The fake narrowed her eyes in suspicion, and wondered why they were so giving. Aura looked towards them, and put away her sword as she crossed her arms. The fake slowly lowered her blade, until it was beside her, and it was Marie's chance to strike back. She brought up her knee and back-kicked the fake in the shins, and she yelped out in pain. Marie ran as fast as she could towards Sora, and when she got near them they all took out their weapons again.

"Oh, how sneaky of you," the fake laughed. She stopped rubbing her shins, and pointed her sword at them. "But you messed with the wrong girl!"

She ran and swung her blade towards Sora, who was able to block it. She didn't seem as strong without the keyblade, but she still wasn't a push-over. Aura joined in the fight, but wasn't really able to get in a lot of attacks. One thing the fake was good at was blocking, so none of them were able to get a lot of attacks in. they got in a few critical ones, but she was able to quickly heal them. It wasn't hard for her to take down Donald and Goofy, who were lying on the floor in pain. In truth, they were all still a bit tuckered out from their battle with Hades, and it was just perfect timing on the fake's end. Still, Sora wasn't going to give up, and neither was Aura.

Marie, on the other hand, stood behind them as she grew scared. How was she going to fight if she didn't have the keyblade? She knew what Fakey was capable of, and she didn't stand a chance against her. The only thing she could do was heal Donald and Goofy, so she brought out her staff, and attempted to cast her healing spell—but Fakey was quick enough to swing her blade at her, and the attack caused Marie to shout in pain as she dropped her staff. She looked down to see that her wrist was bleeding, and right before Fakey attempted to steal her, Sora came in and pushed her away. Marie healed her wrist, and although the cut was gone, the pain lingered. She crawled over to grab her staff, and quickly healed both Goofy and Donald, who got up to fight. It didn't heal them a lot, but they were still able to go on. They all fought with the fake, but they severely underestimated her prowess.

She brought Donald and Goofy to their knees again, and this time brought Sora along with them. He struggled to get up, and Marie ran up to them. She healed them all, but it didn't do very much. With the fact that they were already tired from fighting Hades, they didn't have much energy saved up. Aura was the only one still standing besides Marie, and she kept fighting. She was able to take a lot more damage than Sora or the others because she didn't fight at all, but also because she had a high tolerance. Marie healed them again, and this time they got up… only to have them all be brought down by a binding spell the fake casted.

"How is she so strong?" Sora shouted as he tried getting out of the spell. They all struggled and grunted as they tried, but the spell had such a strong effect on them.

"Darkness will always appear everywhere you go," the fake said as she brought up her sword. "The light can only shine for so much till it eventually flickers out, and that's when the darkness comes in. In fact, I'll show you what it means to turn off the light. Those silly men need you to collect hearts, but you're really nothing special."

She brought her sword over Sora's head and lifted it up. Marie gasped as she saw her doing so, and time suddenly slowed down for her. She heard Donald and Goofy shouting for Fakey to stop, but they couldn't do anything…_she_ couldn't do anything. Was this how they were going to end? Die by the hands of a cheap imitation of her?

_"Even if you can't wield the keyblade, that shouldn't stop you. You do have powers from Kingdom Hearts, right?"_

Marie looked over to Aura and remembered what she told her earlier. The girl was struggling to get out of Fakey's spell, and was doing it quite roughly. It was evident she wanted to help, but with the spell…

_"You can't expect people to fight for you all the time."_

She felt herself crying, she knew she was stronger than this! There was no way a copy of her could defeat them this easily. She looked up to see the fake smirking as she prepared to bring down her blade on Sora, and Marie shook her head violently. There was no way she was going to let Sora get hurt, but she closed her eyes as she kept crying.

"_Kingdom Hearts, please…help me!" _she cried out in her mind. Her forehead began to glow, and it started to burn a bit. This was her power…she needed it more than ever to protect the ones she loved, and it would all start with the person she loved the most. There was no doubt in her mind that she lived to protect, and she needed her heart to be strong. With this power she broke through the spell, and as time kept slowing down for her she jumped in front of Sora. She brought up her hand, and the weapon she had missed seeing appeared—her one and only keyblade. She grabbed the handle with both hands, and the adrenaline picked up as she built up all her strength to slice and push the fake away from Sora.

"W-what!?" the fake shouted in pain as she saw the keyblade in Marie's hand. She didn't realize just how strong Marie could be to bring her down to her knees. The spell unbounded and Marie fell to her knees as the keyblade disappeared, and she pulled herself into Sora for a hug. She was crying hysterically into his shoulder, and although Sora was still shocked at what happened, his first instinct was to hold the girl who protected him.

"It's okay," he cooed. Aura, Donald and Goofy watched as she cried, and they knew that it was because Sora almost got sliced by the fake. He rubbed her back, and she wrapped her arms around him. The fake eventually got up, and with all her effort picked up her blade. She started running towards Sora and Marie, and when the brunette boy noticed he brought out his keyblade and held Marie as he protected her. Unfortunately, with one last push she was able to throw his keyblade off his hand, and was going to land a strike on him.

Without thinking at all, Marie pushed Sora out of the way. Even if it hurts her she wasn't going to let anyone hurt Sora or her friends. As the blade came striking down it hit Marie and left a gash right on the left side of her chest, and she quickly fell to the floor. Fakey fell right after, but still had some fight left. Sora gasped and shouted Marie's name as he ran up to her, while Goofy and Donald did the same. He picked her up from the ground, and noticed the blood dripping down from her hand as she clutched the wound. He was panicking and looked at her eerily calmed face.

"Why did you do that!?" he demanded. There was no reason why she couldn't have used her keyblade, and he didn't understand why she didn't, "Why would you do something so crazy?!"

"I... didn't want you…to get hurt," she said in a whisper. He shook his head and told her she could've used her keyblade, but Marie shook her head as she gave a lazy smile. "There wasn't enough time…and besides…it's what Hercules says…we do crazy things when we're in love…and I love you."

She tried giving another smile, but fainted right after. Sora gasped, and tried to wake her up. Donald and Goofy noticed she was losing a lot of blood, and Aura agreed.

"Take her to Hollow Bastion, that girl in pink can patch her up. Here!" She quickly drew up a portal heading into Hollow Bastion, but Fakey got up as Sora picked Marie up bridal style. She wasn't to let them go so easily, but Aura motioned them to the portal. "Go! I'll take care of this."

They left through the portal without hesitation, and Aura closed the portal. She probably wasn't going to be joining them any longer, since she knew they were going to keep asking questions. She gave out a sigh, and threw her sword away. She brought up her hand, and out appeared her white keyblade with the golden crown on it. She was honestly tired of using a shabby sword, and was so glad to see her keyblade. She smirked over towards the fake, and pointed her sword at her.

"I told you. You're nothing compared to the original," she said. She swung her blade a bit, and chuckled. "One hit, and you're down on the floor. It's pathetic of you to even _think_ you're superior."

She ran towards Fakey, and brought down her keyblade on her. She yelled out in pain, while Aura kept hacking away. Fakey cried out in pain again, and looked over to Aura, who kept smirking the whole time. She stopped attacking, and watched as Fakey writhed in pain. There was a bit of sadism on Aura's part, and it was something she had even from the start. The joy she got when she first stabbed a Heartless. She looked down and stared at the fake, who was breathing in her last breaths. She was unable to get up due to the pain, and just stared at Aura.

"You've gone and hurt someone I'm trying to protect, so I'm going to enjoy this," Aura said as she pointed her blade at the fake. She gave one last smirk before stabbing her, and like that, Fakey went down.

Never to speak, hear or even breathe ever again.

* * *

><p>Sorry if it got a bit dark at the end, but it's all good. Fakey is out of the picture but it might've cost someone's life…Nah, just kidding! We get pretty fluffy in the next chapter with Sora and Marie.<p>

**Shadow1n2:  
><strong>Haha, who knows! She's an epic fighter that's for sure, but I know she'll be there for Marie.  
>Yes, you are right, and with this problem of Marie getting hurt, maybe he might make up his mind? O:<p>

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Next chapter will definitely have it, don't worry!

**Lvl-ZeR0:  
><strong>Thanks! I hope you liked fakey's death, haha.


	49. This thing called love

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-38350 2787

**A/N:**  
>Fluff, fluff, fluff! And some flashbacks! This chapter kind of really gives you an idea of how Marie is supposed to look like as opposed to my somewhat inaccurate drawings, haha. It also just lets you know what's on Sora's mind. Sorry if it seems like he is a bit OOC…<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty<strong>**-Nine**

**ଓ**

**This thing called love**

No one uttered a word as they were all concerned, she was white as a ghost when he brought her in, and her chest was covered in blood. Aerith got to work patching her up, and Merlin took the liberty of using his magic to rid the blood from her clothes. Right now, Marie was lying on a bed in Merlin's house and was sleeping, but she was still pale and Sora wondered why she wasn't waking up.

"She lost a lot of blood before and after I took care of the wound," Aerith said as she looked down at Marie. Her chest was covered in bandage, and she knew it would definitely leave a scar. Still, that was better than anything else. "Right now, she just needs some rest."

Sora took a seat next to the sleeping girl and still couldn't believe what she did, but the more he thought about it… he probably wouldn't have been able to jump out of the way or fight back in time. He looked at her, and a frown grew on his face—how could she just be so reckless? Donald and Goofy had been worried ever since they came to Hollow Bastion, and it was a close call that Marie was patched up in time. Donald kept healing as they ran to Merlin's, and he wondered if it helped any, since she just kept bleeding. The door flung open with a loud noise as Ryan ran in the room, and he had a very shocked look on his face.

"What the heck happened!?" he demanded. Yuffie looked over to him, and since the two had been getting close since his decision to stay, she calmed him down. She explained the situation, but it wasn't making Ryan feel any better, and he wanted to stay. "I'm going to stay here until she wakes up, then. She'd do the same for me."

"Actually, I think Sora should just stay," Goofy suggested. Everyone seemed okay with it, but Ryan wasn't too sure.

"I think I should stay, too—"he yelped as Yuffie grabbed his ear and pulled him outside, while Leon cleared his throat. He had been quietly assessing the situation, and walked a bit closer to Sora and Marie.

"Even if she's out cold she was able to find her strength and call out to the Keyblade, and not only that," he said as he pointed to her forehead. "That power you guys saw her use against that fake must have been her powers—powers from Kingdom Hearts."

"Yeah, we saw her forehead glowing with a pink heart, but Yen Sid said she couldn't use her powers," Donald told him. Leon placed a finger on his chin to think on it, but decided to leave it at that, since Marie really needed her rest. Aerith checked on Marie one last time, and walked out the door to Yuffie and Ryan. Cid was also in the room, but didn't really say anything—he wasn't much for sappy stuff, but he really hoped Marie would get better. He walked over to Sora and placed a rough hand on his shoulder as he looked down.

"Take care of her, kid," he said. He bit on his toothpick a bit harder, and Sora just nodded. He walked out, and Leon just walked with him. Sora looked over to Merlin, who was stroking his beard as the whole conservation went on, and the brunette boy asked if he could use his magic to wake Marie.

"Oh no, my boy. My magic doesn't work like that," he said. "She's out of the danger, but anything could happen. She just needs rest."

Everyone was out of the house except for Donald and Goofy, who gave their sympathetic looks at Sora. He seemed so distraught over Marie having pushed him out of the way, but they knew she wasn't doing it to be crazy. She was in love with the boy, and they knew it. She gave her confession to him, but even so Sora couldn't give a reply. Not that he could anyways, what with her bleeding everywhere, but even so he didn't mention that last bit.

"You guys… mind if I be with Marie for a while?" he asked. They both nodded their heads, and told him to take his time. They left with their hopes that Marie would wake soon, and Sora turned over to her. He brought his chair a bit closer, and as he watched, he slammed his fist on the mattress.

"Why'd you have to do something so crazy!?" he shouted. She didn't move at all, and although everyone said she'd be alright, they didn't mention _when_ she would wake up. He didn't think what Aura said would be so literal, but he really feared that he would lose Marie. He also never realized just how much of a fear he had of Marie never waking up, since she had a bad history with sleeping and comas. He _needed_ her to wake up soon, so that it would calm him and that he would see her smile. He bent over a bit and grabbed Marie's hand as he placed it in his, and he caressed it as he looked at it.

"You know, I'm really glad I met you," he started. He looked up from her hand and towards her face, and sighed as he continued. "I like seeing you smile, and it makes me happy when you're laughing and being happy, too. I mean, I never expected any of this, but I'm happy it all happened."

**-x-**

_As Marie looked up to see Aerith, she instead looked at the boy with brown hair and blue eyes. He had a slight frown, only because she did as well. He stopped frowning and gave her a huge smile, one that he did when he first met Donald and Goofy. She stopped frowning and started laughing out loud. After a bout of talking and discussing what they were going to do, they all introduced themselves._

_"I'm Sora," the boy said as he smiled at them._

_"Donald Duck!" the duck shouted after._

_"Name's Goofy!" the dog in green said. _

_"And I'm Marie!" she smiled at the three of them._

**-x-**

Even if the first thing she did was frown when they met, she still gave a laugh and smiled. Her big teeth and wide, pouted lips made her smile all the more cheerful, and it really was beautiful. He recalled the times they had together and remembered how her eyes were always so expressive with their doe-eye features, and how those sea-green orbs shined whenever she was at her best. She was also a very light person, in terms of her complexion, and never seemed the type to keep a tan. She really only remained red for a while, and then reverted back to her normal skin tone with those rosy cheeks. It meshed well with her champagne blonde hair though, which was always soft whenever he gave her a hug and touched it, but she always brushed it before heading out.

The best thing about her was her ability to adapt and just be free like the wind, but at the same time know when to be serious. He knew she had her own problems to deal with, but she made it apparent that she couldn't do anything about it yet, and just dealt with things that came up in their current times. She was pretty resourceful and smart, which was great to balance him, Donald and Goofy out, and he liked how they just gave each other a look to understand each other—even when things between them seemed bleak. She also placed a great trust in him, even from last year.

**-x-**

_"When I first met Cid, I felt like I've seen him so many times. And… when we met Riku... I also felt like I've seen him too," Marie said as she looked down. Sora's eyes shot up as he asked her where she saw Riku, and Marie explained. "After Jafar let go of me, I passed out. I remembered meeting Riku, but I don't know where we were. It's like, is any of this for real, or not?"_

_"I don't know, but I know that what we're going through is real," he told her. He looked down towards the floor before staring back at her, and he took a deep breath. "Marie, would you forget about me?"_

_"I don't know, but I don't want to," she replied. Her voice was shaking, and Sora comforted her. She was struggling to keep herself from crying, and Sora liked the fact that she was a strong person. She was never faltering and never showed any sighs of true weakness, but knowing the truth about herself **was** her weakness, and she was showing it. She struggled so much and kept pushing forward strongly, but Sora was quite glad to see her fragile side, if anything, this little moment made their friendship stronger._

_"Marie," he softly said. "If you want to cry, you can cry on my shoulder."_

_She looked at him for a moment and started to whimper. She was tugging his sleeve and soon after dug herself in his shoulder, tightly holding onto him as she cried all her frustration and anger out. It was this moment Sora finally decided that he was going to be by Marie's side. Forever._

**_-x-_**

And he was going to be by her side forever, even if they got separated, he would go out and find her. He got up from his seat, and walked towards the window as he looked out. He knew Hollow Bastion was a home to Marie, but her real home was with him and everyone else, and he couldn't wait to get home and just show everything to her. He wanted her to be welcomed, since she hadn't been there for more than a decade. He wondered who her parents were and where she lived, and he wondered how she was when she was younger. Being friends with Riku must have been interesting for Marie, and he just wanted to really know everything about her. He turned from the window and leaned against it while looking at Marie, who was still sound asleep. He wanted her to wake up so he could tell her all this, but he was getting anxious—what if she went into another coma?

**ଓ**

**Kingdom Hearts**

Stella and Dante watched as their daughter slept, and they were pretty on edge when they saw the amount of blood dripping from her wound. They both watched as she was being patched up, and when she fell into sleep they gave a somewhat relieved sigh. They wouldn't know what to do if their only daughter didn't survive, and Stella certainly took what Aura said about time.

"Dante…I'm sorry," she said in a low voice, but loud enough for the man to hear. He remained quiet, and just listened to what Stella had to say. "I am a selfish person, and… I know the things I do aren't probably for the best, but I want you to know that I'd do anything for you and Marie. You guys are my family… my whole life."

She stopped talking when he wrapped his arms around her shoulder and placed his head on top of hers. He gave a long sigh, and nuzzled her head with his chin. "I'm also sorry for being out of hand—not everything I said was true, I was just frustrated. You know how much I wanted a normal family, and this type of situation is depressing."

Stella knew it well that Dante wanted a normal life with a family, but being with Stella had consequences. Her mother started it all, from being the first—at least as she knew it as being the first—to enter Kingdom Hearts. Would Marie follow her footsteps? Both Dante and Stella didn't want that, and Stella was not like her mother who had been filled with a strong sense of justice. She just wanted to live normally and that is what she wanted for her daughter as well.

"I don't think we can ever be _normal_," Stella told him. Dante sighed, and feared that she was right. "This may have been my fate from the start… but I don't want it for Marie."

"I think we should let her know about every—"

"No, now is not the time," Stella interrupted her husband. Marie needed to have a clear mind, and while she was struggling with her memories now was not the time. Stella sighed, she knew once this journey was over she was going to have to tell her. The question was: would Marie set on another journey to help them out of Kingdom Hearts?

**ଓ**

**Sora and Marie**

He paced around the room, and took short glances at her. He was hoping she would wake up any moment, but not even a grunt or moan left her lips. It was already half the day, and she was still pale and had no color. She was out longer than usual and he was getting really worried. He walked back down to the chair beside her and watched as she slept; only seeing her chest rise slowly. He bent over and placed his hand in hers as he planted his head softly on her chest. He listened to her heart beat, and watched the necklace he gave her go up and down. He closed his eyes and thought back on the times where he caught Marie looking down and tugging at her necklace, and he was really glad to know how much it meant to her. He used his free hand to hold her arm, and stayed there as he listened to the beating of her heart.

**-x-**

_She gave him a questioning look, and he started to grab something from his pocket. When he grabbed a golden necklace with a small crown attached to it, she figured it was the cause to how weird he was acting. _

_"This is for you," he said. He handed the necklace over to her, and she took it as she looked at it. It was nicely made, and she thought it was beautiful. She looked at him and asked why he gave it to her, and he scratched his head as he grew a bit bashful. "So you don't forget me. After we seal the Keyblade and find Riku, we'll go back to our worlds."_

_She looked over to his collarbone and noticed that he had the same necklace, just bigger and silver. She looked at the necklace one more time and placed it around her own neck. She didn't want to depart from Sora—she didn't want to depart from her team. She smiled and gave a soft chuckle as she looked back at Sora._

_"Thank you so much, Sora!" she said as she touched the necklace. "It's so pretty. I love it!"_

**-x-**

"Please wake up…," he said aloud. He shook his head a bit and brought the hand he was holding closer to his face. He wasn't at the point of crying, but he really wanted her to wake up. He was never one to be this serious but this girl was at the start with him, and throughout their time together they really grew on each other. He felt disappointed that it took for her to be passed out like this to really realize who he loved, and he got off his chair and kneeled as he changed positions. His head was raised and he brought both his hands as he clasped them with Marie's hand. He brought them to his forehead as he closed his eyes again and whispered for her to wake up, since at this point a grunt would suffice. He stayed quiet for a while, and after a few moments of it, looked up. He let go of Marie's hand, and placed it beside her. He looked out towards the window, and didn't realize how late it had gotten.

Ryan walked through the door, and noticed Sora hunched over and on his knees. He sighed as he lowered his shoulders, and walked up to them. Sora looked up after hearing the shuffling of feet, and greeted Ryan.

"Still not awake, huh?" he asked. Sora shook his head, and Ryan noticed the boy was visibly distraught. He knew it was late, and wondered if Sora wanted to take a break. "You know, we can get Yuffie or Aerith to look after her. You should get some rest."

"I'm not leaving her," he said as he looked back at Marie. "I want to be the first person she sees when she wakes up. I stayed with her that time she collapsed after getting her elbow cut, and I was the first person she saw."

"Man, you must really like her then," Ryan commented. He knew his cousin had a thing for Sora, but he never quite knew if Sora was really serious. This situation spoke more than words to him though, and he was honestly glad Sora was dedicated to Marie. He sighed and patted Sora's shoulder as he looked at Marie. "Just make sure you get some rest. I'm sure Marie doesn't want to see you snoring away when she wakes up."

Sora nodded, but didn't quite feel like laughing at his joke. Ryan left the house to inform the rest about Sora's arrangement, and the boy in question looked back at Marie. He didn't want to be sleeping when Marie woke up, since he really wanted her to see him first when she did. He got up from his chair, and got on the bed as quietly as he could. Once he was on the left side of the bed, he moved Marie so she was lying on her right side. He got comfortable on the bed that he was now lying in, and brought Marie closer towards him. He wrapped his left arm under her neck, and the other over her shoulder so that he could hug her, and he held her tightly in his arms. He lowered his head a bit and lightly kissed her forehead as his eyelids grew heavy, and then brought her a bit lower so his head rested on top of hers.

"I'll be the first person you see when you wake up," he whispered. He was getting sleepy all of a sudden, and closed his eyes. "And I promise I'll be the first because…"

"I love you."

* * *

><p>Oh goodness, so much fluff. Was Sora OOC? Sorry if he was ;-; We're not done with the fluff yet, by the way. I still have some left for the next chapter, and the reason why this chapter took so long was because I'm so out of tune with my romantic side that I was like 'derp. How do I romance?'<p>

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>Haha, and I'm glad that she is! I was starting to forget about her. Oh god, that moment will be very hard to write without getting the feels—more so for Aura since she's closer to him than Marie at the moment. ;-; LOL well yea, that's how we do it nowadays—tell someone you love them as they be bleeding.

**Lvl-ZeR0:  
><strong>Thanks! I wanted to show Aura's more sadistic side since she pretty much likes to attack anything. Fakey will be missed, I'm sure, but I must make room for other people and some new characters o:

**Anon:  
><strong>Sorry! I don't think I'm using it anymore. (I used a few things in these chapters, so I'm not sure) Hope I've stopped it. (If you're still reading!)

**Dracula X:  
><strong>Haha, yeah well I gotta add it some plot twists in there somewhere. :D there are a few more coming your way, but more near the ending. O:

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Haha, I'm glad you enjoyed her going away party! Sora/Marie moments from now on I swear!

**WingOfHope:  
><strong>If I didn't write it I'm sorry but yeah, she's had her hood up the entire time. She was kind of scared Sora would know everything about her since Roxas merged with him and all.

**Guest:  
><strong>Next part right here! I'm glad you're reading, and I love you, two! :hearts:


	50. I love you

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-38350 2787

**A/N:**  
>More fluff! But between both Marie and Sora this time! Yay! And I'm finally at chapter 50! Hopefully I'll reach my 60th chapter mark!<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty<strong>

**ଓ**

**I love you**

I opened my eyes slowly and yawned as I moved my head a bit, and I noticed something blocking my view. Actually, I felt a bit stiff and wondered if I slept on a rock or something, but when my eyes were wide awake I looked up. What I saw made me smile…Sora was sleeping in front of me with his arms wrapped around my neck, and I gave a very wide grin as I wondered if he was with me the whole time. I knew I had to get up, and so I slowly got myself out of his embrace. Once up, I sat beside him on the bed and I giggled at how sweet he looked asleep, and I got a bit closer as I bent down to pull a strand of hair from his face. When I got a clearer view of his face, I noticed he looked a bit worried, and my grin turned into a slight frown—did I cause his worry?

Actually, I looked around and noticed the early sun hitting against my face, and I had to squint a bit to adjust to the light. We weren't in Olympus Coliseum, and when I got a better look around the room I noticed we were in Merlin's house. I'm surprised I didn't die if Sora, Donald and Goofy took the ship all the way here…I got real lucky. Where were Donald and Goofy anyways? Where was everyone else? I looked at Sora again and decided to get up from the bed, but when I did, I stumbled a bit from the pressure. Geez, I didn't think being out for this short amount of time would leave me all wobbly and jelly-like. But then again, I was in a coma for ten years, so walking after that was a pain to get used to. I don't know how I got walking fine after that…but I figure it had something to do with my powers from Kingdom Hearts. I stretched my arms up in the air long with my back, and I bent down to stretch my legs.

"Marie, you're awake!" I heard a very familiar ninja say. I got up from my stretches and was pulled into a hug with Donald and Goofy, to my surprise. I smiled at their gestures and eagerly returned the hug, and from their backs I looked up and smiled at Yuffie and Aerith—who were doing the same to me. I saw Leon and Cid walking in as well, and my smile just got bigger.

"We thought ya wouldn't wake up," Goofy told me. I parted from their hug and gave a huge sigh out of guilt at how they were all worried about me. I didn't mean for anyone to feel bad since I just followed my heart and did what I had to do. Speaking of which, I noticed Donald walking over to the bed, and hit Sora a few times on his head. He wasn't waking up, and Donald smacked him harder this time. I was surprised at how resistant Sora was, but after the fourth smack he got up rather quickly and in a panic.

"I didn't eat the cookie!" I started laughing at this, and I instantly felt his eyes on me. We looked at each other, and I gave a bright smile as I waved and greeted him good morning. He jumped off the bed and didn't land on the floor until he attacked me into the biggest hug I've ever received. His arms were tightly wrapped around my waist and I couldn't help but giggle at how happy he was, so I wrapped my arms around his shoulders as we embraced. He spun me around, and I laughed. "You finally woke up!" I heard him say.

"We're all glad you're awake and well," he said. Cid nodded along with Yuffie and Aerith. I parted from Sora's hug as I got curious and asked how long I was out for. "For a day…it's the longest you've been out from a wound, so Sora here got worried."

"We were all worried!" Donald added as he looked at me. I brought my hands close to my chest and felt really bad. I expressed how I made them wait for me to wake up, and how we wasted precious time looking for Organization XIII.

"But you're way more important, Marie. We wouldn't leave ya like that," Goofy said. I gave them a smile and told them all how I was grateful for their patience, and how they patched and healed me up.

"You're important to all of us," Sora said. I couldn't stop smiling, and I saw Donald and Goofy teasing him about I was the most important to him. He scratched the back of his head and started agreeing, and I stood there staring at him—was…I really that important to him? He walked a bit closer to me and took my hands in his as we looked at each other. "You mean the whole world to me, Marie. There's no one else…just you."

I felt my face burn up, and I was getting very bashful at his words. I instead opted to hug him, or else I would've cried at how sweet he was being, and he hugged me back. I heard Yuffie and Aerith make cooing noises and when I looked at them they were swooning over the sentimental scene, and Donald and Goofy were laughing and smiling as they looked at us. Leon just rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms, but I noticed a small smirk along with Cid.

**-x-**

After saying goodbye to Cid, Leon, Yuffie and Aerith, we all started walking towards the ship—which Chip and Dale brought over. There was a lot they had to explain, and majority of it involved Aura. I noticed she wasn't with us, and I wondered where she was. Donald and Goofy went on ahead, and I noticed Sora stopped. I turned around and asked what was wrong, and he looked at me.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you," he said. He looked down and I walked up to him as I took his hands into mine. I shook my head, brought my hand up and used my finger to lift his chin so he was looking at me.

"You don't have to apologize for anything, Sora," I said. I gave him a sincere smile, but he kept a slight serious look on his face. I just continued. "I'm sorry for doing what I did…it was reckless, but I didn't want to lose you."

There was a short silence between us, and I figured that was it for talking. I heard him take a huge, deep breath, and he wrapped his arms around my waist again. He looked at me, and again there was the short silence. I was about to say something, but I saw his lips moving.

"I love you."

I stayed speechless for a bit as I looked at his chest—did he really just confess to me? I started smiling, and I let out a shaky breath as my eyes started squinting. A tear rolled down my left eye, and Sora wiped it away with his finger. I looked up and he wiped the other tears as they started falling, and I kept smiling. He smiled with me, but he did that really wide smile when I first met him, and I giggled.

"I love you, too!" I practically shouted as I hugged him. He returned the hug before I parted, and he told me he was glad. We kept staring at each other for a bit longer, and I felt myself getting closer. He was getting closer too, and it was like magnet—we were an inch away and I felt him lower his head and I knew where this was going. I couldn't help but smile a bit, and when our lips were _almost_ touching we heard Ryan shouting. We quickly parted and Sora placed his arm around my shoulder, while I grew really hot from the proximity of our lips. Ryan came running towards us, with a huge grin on his face.

"You're awake!" he shouted. I smiled at him and he bent down as he stopped near us to catch his breath, and I wondered how he was doing in terms of his health. He got up from his position and dug his hands into his pockets as he kept smiling. "How could you leave without letting your bro not know?"

"_Cousins_ and I'm sorry. Yuffie said you were working away on the computer, so I figured you were busy," I explained. He looked over to Sora and then back to me, and his grin turned into a smirk. Just like Donald and Goofy, he started teasing us, but Sora and I just laughed.

"So, I'm guessing you guys are okay? And here I thought I was actually going to make up something so you two would deal out your problems," he said. I raised my eyebrow at this, and he scratched the back of his head. I asked him what he meant by that, and he sighed. "Well, Aura told me how you lost your memory of a lot of things, including your thing with Sora. She asked me to find a way to help out, but I got lazy. But at least everything worked out, right?"

"Yeah but…how does Aura know so much about Marie?" Sora asked. His arm was still around my shoulder, and to be honest, I wondered too. She wielded a Keyblade, knew a lot about the Organization, and knows a lot about me. As much as I didn't want to pry, Aura's mystery was really bugging me. Sora brought a finger to his chin, and started speaking. "Aura used a portal to bring us here with you, and it looked like the ones Organization XIII use."

"There's obviously more to this Aura chick than you guys know," Ryan said. He frowned a bit and looked away. "She came aboard the Gummi ship at times when it was just me…she told me not to tell you, but if you guys already know her than I shouldn't hide it anymore."

"Really?" Sora asked. I was thinking the same thing, how was she able to get on the ship without a key to the door or anything like that? Did her portals enable her to go _anywhere_? If so, then maybe she could potentially find a way to Organization XIII's hideout. I told this to Sora, who seemed to agree with me. "Yeah…I guess we should be looking for her too. Maybe she's seen Riku by now… or even the king."

I nodded, and Ryan sighed as he told us he was going back. I gave him a hug as we said goodbye, and Sora and I walked along towards the ship with his arm still wrapped around my shoulder. The mood was probably gone for that kiss, but at least I knew Sora loves me. Those words will forever be playing in my head…but I really am glad.

**-x-**

When we got back on the Gummi ship, Donald, Goofy and Sora filled me in on what they found out about Aura, which really wasn't different from what I already knew. She used the same portals as Organization XIII, knows a ton about Kingdom Hearts and myself, and also wields a keyblade…though the boys didn't know that. I eventually told them and they were shocked.

"When did you see her wield a keyblade?" Sora asked. I explained how she used it when she first brought Ryan, but I didn't think she'd be this suspicious _because_ of the fact that she wielded one. Donald was concerned about it, simply because of what she knew about Organization XIII and that portal she used.

"What if she _is_ with organization?" Goofy asked. It was a possibility, but if she was, then they wouldn't need Sora to kill off the heartless to collect hearts. I brought a finger to my chin and thought about it, but I really couldn't see Aura as a bad person. She helped us a lot with fighting, and if she was with Organization XIII then she would've kidnapped me when she had the chance. If anything…

"She probably _was_ with Organization XIII," I said. If she knew a lot about Organization XIII then she either is a very good spy or was part of their group. The question now is _why_ was she part of the team and _why_ did she leave. Donald told us that if she was part of the Organization, then she'd definitely know where they were hiding out. It's true, but why didn't she reveal their location when she knew we were looking for them? It was all so confusing, and I really wanted to figure her out.

"Well, we have to find her and ask when we do," Sora said, which we all agreed to. He gave a smile and looked my way, and I wondered what was up. "I'm just glad Marie is okay and that she's back to normal."

I smiled and quickly took out my keyblade, and the feeling I got was amazing. I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to wield it anymore, even though I did say I was better off not fighting at all and even questioned why I had it. I know now that I was given these powers for a reason, and that I wield this keyblade for a reason, and that was to protect my loved ones. Not just them, though, but to protect Kingdom Hearts and anyone who wanted to use it's powers. I may not understand my own powers from it, but I know that I have to stay strong and keep fighting with everything that I've got! I'm done complaining, and now it's time for action.

Donald and Goofy returned to their seats, while Sora gave me a wink as he got to his. I felt the butterflies fly in my stomach and I just couldn't help but smile—it's all I've been doing, and I'm happy that I can smile this much now. I sat down in my spot, and we started flying to the closest location, which was Agrabah.

**-x-**

**Agrabah**

We teleported down towards Agrabah, and landed in the store of that merchant. My eyes were immediately exposed to the amount of gold that was around the place, and I had to cover them for a bit until they adjusted. I heard Donald yelping and I looked over to him almost tipping over a vase, and I brought my hands close as it didn't fall over.

"You break it, you buy it!" we heard the merchant say. I guess he heard it tipping, but when he turned around his scowl turned into a smile, and he greeted us. He told us that everything was on sale, and I highly doubted anything in here would be considered a sale. Sora asked if the merchant saw a man in a black coat, or anyone from Organization XIII, but the guy didn't.

"Sora, don't let him get away!" we heard Aladdin say as he came running in. We turned around to look at him, but then we heard Abu squealing. The merchant was gone, and I wondered what was going on. I asked what was going on, and Aladdin sighed, "Can't believe it…that peddler let Jafar out of the lamp!"

"Jafar!?" I heard Donald, Goofy and Sora say in unison. I was brought back to the time Jafar nearly burned my wrist off with that grip of his, and I shuddered. I wasn't entirely with it when they said lamp though, but I know that he got turned into a genie.

"You guys should be careful," Aladdin said. He explained that Jafar would most likely want to take over Agrabah, but also wanted revenge. Seemed he was still upset about last year, but I guess any tyrant whose plans got foiled would be.

Iago came in and Aladdin told him to tell us anything he knew about Jafar, and the parrot seemed a bit hesitant. Aladdin threatened that he wouldn't be his friend anymore, and Iago sighed. He eventually told us that Jafar was in the desert ruins, and Aladdin wanted to ambush him before he did anything. I was down for it, and so was everyone else. In fact, I was hoping we would see him, because now that I've got this newfound resolve I want to fight!

We walked outside the city, and looked ahead and I noticed a rather nasty sand storm far ahead. Iago came flying in, and he told us, in a not so subtle way, that we'd have to turn back because of the storm. "There's gotta be a way," Aladdin said as he stroked his chin.

"Aw, c'mon, kid, that's an easy one!" we heard Genie say. We looked around to find the guy, and we saw him flying around in the sky. He called out to Aladdin, and explained to him the perks of being best friends with a genie. He looked over to Sora, Donald, Goofy and I, and asked if we wanted to see a cool trick. The boys were excited to see, and I laughed as I agreed.

"Take it away, Genie!" Aladdin encouraged him. Genie brought up his arm and swung it a bit before pointing at the sandstorm, but he grew a bit sad at how small the storm was compared to him. He wanted something more exciting to do, but still cleared the sandstorm for us. I brought my hand over my eyes and squinted to see an oasis-like place behind the storm, and I was pleasantly surprised. What I wasn't happy about… was the trek through the sand.

* * *

><p>Yay, done another chapter! I'm pretty sure there will be a lot of romantic situations between Marie and Sora now that they are in love! No kissing yet though, I gotta tease you all just a bit longer. Damn you, Ryan!<p>

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>LOL well here you go! I shall make more lovey dovey moments between Marie and Sora as I write!

**JoojKA:  
><strong>Aww, haha! I'm glad you like the story so much to keep refreshing. I will be updating a bit more frequently now since I'm so motivated to get to KH3D!

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>So much fluff! Oh my gosh, I hate swag and yolo and all that crap. Where I live I see guys with hats saying that with the 'hashtag' sign. The good guys are all hiding because their ashamed to be associated with the swag/yolo guys. I'm forever alone-ing right now lol but I'm actually pretty happy because I'd rather have that then a guy wearing his stupid caps which I hate sooo much! /endrant.

Haha, yeah I decided to add those in but I rearranged it a bit since I'm rewriting Game Over atm. Yep, it's for PS4 and I think Xbox1, but I'm getting a PS4. I heard there will be multiplayer and ideas of adding it star trek characters I think. I don't know, it all sounds so badass.


	51. And we shall name him 'carpet!

**Marie and her keyblade:**

www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-38350 2787

**A/N:**  
>Even more fluff! Now added with a carpet and some fast action flying! Screw fast and furious when you've got a flying carpet! I'll also note that Marie will be pretty much a bad-ass from now on. Not as good as Aura, but pretty damn good.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-One<strong>

**ଓ**

**And we shall call it 'Carpet'!**

We walked through the sand and heat, and I was disgusted by the fact that I was sweating—we all were, but I felt so gross. We walked a little more until we saw a whole lot of buildings deep beneath us, and Sora wondered what to do now. We looked around until we saw something flying in, and when I put my hands over my eyes, I noticed it was Carpet! It flew in and landed in front of Sora, and he was really happy to see it.

"Nice timing, Carpet!" he cheered. Donald and Goofy were quick to get on, along with Aladdin, and I was reminded of last year. I had to sit on Sora's lap, and I found myself blushing at the thought. Sora called out my name, and stuck out his hand for me. I smiled and eagerly accepted it, and when I got on he placed his arm around my waist. Everyone managed to get on, and Carpet started flying towards the main tower.

But, nothing says fun without Heartless floating around, and I hope you can note my sarcasm there. They were little flying Heartless with mechanical mouths, and they started aiming towards us. Donald got busy casting his spells, while Aladdin steered carpet. Goofy threw his shield at some of them, while Sora and I attacked some of the ones near Carpet. I switched between fighting and casting my magic, while Sora went full on physical. Aladdin was flying around with Carpet, until one of the Heartless bumped into it. Carpet bucked, and we all lost our balance and I fell of it.

I screamed as I fell off, and as I was falling I looked down towards the floor. I was freaked out, and I saw the Heartless chasing after me. No more weakness! I can fight! Even if I was falling I managed to call out my keyblade and cast aero to keep me afloat for just a bit, and I felt my forehead burning again. I brought my keyblade and I spun around in midair as I felt something welling up inside me.

"Tornado!" I shouted. My keyblade lit up and I saw a giant tornado surround the Heartless around me, and it lifted me even higher up from the ground. I watched as the tornado got rid of all the Heartless and I felt myself land rather roughly back on Carpet.

"Are you okay?" I heard Sora ask as he wrapped his arm around my waist again. I smiled and told him I felt great! Really, it was such a thrill! I don't know why or how, but maybe it was the fact that I was actually no longer afraid. I was ready to fight and I think this was the result. Of course, I know not to get cocky, but it was pretty amazing. Sora smiled and laughed at my courage, and I smiled back. That spell though…was that my own power coming through? If so, then maybe controlling these powers might be a bit easier than I thought. _Maybe_. I know I've got the ability to use powers from Kingdom Hearts through Stella, but what I really wanted to know now was how to prevent others from using it. I didn't want anyone from Organization XIII using it—I'm not going to let _anyone_ use it! Those powers belong to no one, and I'm finally going to take responsibility and do what I should've done from the start—protect it.

After getting rid of the heartless around us, Aladdin led us all the way deep within the ruins and found us an opening inside it. We flew straight towards it and I ducked my head with everyone else as we went inside. Carpet abruptly stopped, and we all fell off it. We landed on the cement, and my back hurt a bit, but at least we got inside. I walked around the place, and was pretty amazed such a thing existed. Sora found a path, and we all walked through it. He found an opening, and Aladdin told us to be prepared. We took out our weapons, and on Aladdin's count we ran through.

"The game's up, Jafar!" Sora shouted. We stood in our stances, but nothing appeared. I raised my eyebrow in confusion after a while, and Aladdin asked if this was even the place. Donald looked at Iago, and the parrot flew a bit ahead of us. He landed on a broken pillar, and looked down at the floor before looking at us.

"You gotta understand. It wasn't my idea! It was Jafar. He made me bring you here," Iago confessed. I dropped my shoulders, and was shocked at how he went behind our backs. I honestly thought he turned over a new feather. "He said if I didn't cooperate, he was gonna—"

"Where is he?" Aladdin demanded. Iago begged Aladdin to forgive him but he wasn't really happy. Aladdin demanded again where Jafar was, and Iago told us that he was probably attacking the palace. Iago pleaded that he didn't have a choice, saying that his eyes were all creepy and weird.

"Whatever. Iago, you're supposed to be our friend, but you've been playing both sides, just to make sure you save yourself," Sora retorted. Donald added that he was still a bad guy, and Iago begged for forgiveness. I still felt a bit bad, since I think he was trying. He flew backwards a bit, and knocked a vase down to the floor. The building started to shake and Carpet came flying in, and we quickly got on as it started to fly.

Carpet was quick, but when we left the buildings around us started to crumble. We had to maneuver around the falling pieces and try to get out, but Heartless started appearing too! I brought out my keyblade and started casting spells with Donald, while Goofy protected us as we kept flying. It was hard to really fight and stay balanced, but Sora kept my balance still. I mainly used my aero spell to push the Heartless back, while Donald used thunder.

"Watch out!" I shouted as a building came falling in. Carpet quickly flew over it, and I held onto both it and Sora as we flew. The Heartless were blocked by the building, and I sighed out of relief. The rest of the ride was smooth as we escaped the ruins, and I bent down to get a better hold of Carpet.

Carpet fell straight to the floor once we made it back to the town and got off, and Aladdin told it to rest. I was really thankful for the ride, and it really did deserve a rest. Iago roared for us to get Jafar, but Sora and Aladdin were still a bit annoyed with him. We all looked through the door, and Aladdin informed us that the palace was all the way at the back, so we made haste.

**-x-**

We ran towards the palace, and lo and behold, we saw Jafar standing in front of Jasmine. He laughed at her saying how Aladdin was probably gone, and when she turned and smiled towards us, Jafar did too. He gasped when he saw us, and glared when he saw Iago.

"You dare defy me! You useless bird!" Iago hid behind Goofy as he brought up his shield, and Jafar brought up his staff as he was about to cast a spell. He quickly turned his staff and turned his magic towards Aladdin, but Iago came in and shielded Aladdin. I gasped, and quickly ran and bent down as he fell.

"Iago!" I shouted. Everyone surrounded him and looked at him as he blacked out, but Jafar laughed and threatened that we would be joining Iago soon. I turned my head towards him, and he was glowing red. We watched as the glow got bigger, and it eventually turned into a red smoke. It got bigger, and when it faded, we saw a giant Jafar in his genie form. He got so big that he tore down one of the buildings, and we all ran away from as quickly as possible.

Carpet came flying in, and we watched as Jafar flew up towards the sky. Aladdin told us we needed to stay focused, and I took a deep breath as I willed my keyblade out. I am ready for this! I looked at Sora and he looked at me, and we both nodded as we jumped on Carpet. Donald, Goofy and Aladdin got on after, and we concentrated all our attacks on Jafar's upper torso.

**-x-**

**Aura**

She came running out of her portal and quickly closed it, and sighed as she looked around. She was in Halloween Town and decided to check out the place, and she wondered why she didn't get a costume of her own, but she figured she was scary enough as it is. It had been a while since she left the gang, and to be honest, she kind of missed it. It was certainly entertaining seeing the antics of those two sidekicks, and even messing with Sora was _kind_ of fun. What she probably missed the most was how Roxas was near, even though she didn't want him to. It didn't really feel all that right without Axel, but she was still glad.

"So you finally got to really talk with her, huh?" she heard a familiar redhead say. She turned around and faced Axel, who had a slight smirk on his face. She sighed, and nodded her head. Axel chuckled a bit, and crossed his arms. "Was she different from what you expected?"

"I guess…I'm not really sure. I felt strength within her, but she seemed scared," Aura replied. She turned away from Axel and looked up at the gloomy sky. "Now… I can sense she really is trying. She's giving it her all, and I think Sora being in danger really made her open her eyes."

Aura turned around, and narrowed her eyes when she looked at Axel and teased how he wouldn't have minded if Sora went down. Roxas would come back, and they'd really be together—the three of them. Aura shook her head though, since it really couldn't be that way, and she reminded Axel the same thing.

"Heh, well I'll still try," he replied. She sighed again, and Axel scratched the back of his head. "I…miss you, ya know."

She lowered her head, and turned away from him again. She missed everyone that was close to her, but she really missed Axel. He was a close friend, and she really needed him by her side, but with everything going on, she knew Axel wouldn't turn on the Organization. Saix was still there, and she knew from Marie's past that Lea and Isa were the best of friends. She wondered about that though.

"What do you think Marie will say when she sees Saix?" she asked. Axel's eyes widened a bit, not thinking about that situation, but he started to wonder as well. Isa was pretty nice to Marie, but he had no clue how Saix would act. He was so far deep into helping their superior that he was a bit concerned for them—would she be able to get to him and drop the whole idea, or would they battle it out? He knew where it would go though, and he just hoped for the best.

"She'll be surprised, that's for sure," he replied. Aura smirked at the flame-headed man, and she personally hoped Marie would rip Saix a new one, since she hated the man with a passion. Axel just scratched his head again, since he still cared for Saix. They were friends, and he knew he neglected him a lot, but their ideas were so different. "Maybe it's not a good idea for them to meet…"

"They should," Aura sternly said. She believed the girl needed more slaps to the face to really come out of her shell. She wanted Marie to really think and to fight with everything that she had, and if meeting her old friends in situations that didn't suit her were the answer, they so be it. "She really needs to…_not_ trust the first person she sees, and if that bombs she chooses to ignore it and deal with it later. I really hate that about her."

"She never used to be like that," Axel replied. Aura looked at him and he explained how Marie was once a girl who went straight to the problem, and dealt with them confidently. But he figured that was because she was young, but maybe it was all that had happened to her? She went through some serious conditioning, and he was sure it turned her into a meek girl, but he knew the Marie back then would come out eventually. "Just give her some time; she's still trying to piece back the puzzle of her life before those ten years."

"Well, she'd better hurry up," Aura said as she looked back up towards the gloomy sky. "Anything can happen to her, and I don't want Xemnas winning."

Axel gave her a solemn look, and wondered what he was going to do. He wasn't with Organization XIII since they branded him a traitor, but he didn't have anywhere else to go. Aura had Marie, and even if she didn't, she had other places she could go. Where would he go?

**-x-**

**Marie**

It took a while, but after fighting with Jafar we managed to take him out. He started twitching and convulsing, angry at the fact that we defeated him. He eventually exploded, as weird as that sounds, and red dust came falling down. The lamp he was in disappeared into a black smoke, and we all went down to the floor. Genie came out and was a bit disappointed at how he wasn't invited to fight Jafar, but Aladdin convinced him that Agrabah needed to be fixed, so he would be able to show off his moves. He wanted to add in some pools, but Aladdin only wanted it to be the same.

He used his magic to put Agrabah together, and we watched as his magic circulated the world. He disappeared right after, and Agrabah was back to it's former self. Sora told Iago to behave, and the parrot definitely got the point. He was sad that he wasn't like Genie, who helped out anyway he can and did cool stuff, but Sora told it wasn't like that.

"Friends don't have to 'do' stuff Iago, as long as you have fun hanging out together, that's all that matters," Sora said. Aladdin asked what we did for fun, and I felt Donald and Goofy run past me as they started doing silly faces to Aladdin, telling him that was what we did.

"Uh…that's not quite what I meant," Aladdin said. He shook his head, and looked at all of us. "Don't forget about us, okay? And Sora, about that friend of yours, the one you're looking for… you'll find him. Trust me."

Sora looked down, and he was obviously saddened by the fact that Riku was still missing. Aladdin put his hands on his shoulders, and we just watched as Sora nodded. We said our farewells to Aladdin and Jasmine, and walked out towards the ship. I ran up to Sora as I wrapped my arms around his, and he looked down as he gave a soft chuckle, though I wanted to keep encouraging him.

"You know, we'll find Riku soon enough. I know he's not that far from us…I can feel it, and I'm sure he'll be so happy to see you!" I said. He gave a slight frown, but quickly changed it into a big smile. I know he's sad… hey, so am I, but I know Sora won't give up. He moved his arm from mine and placed it around my shoulders, and I smiled as I wrapped my arms around his waist. I saw Donald and Goofy making kissy faces, and I stuck out my tongue at them as I smiled. I looked up at Sora, who was also doing the same, and I laughed a bit.

"Hey, I bet Riku'll be happy to see you too," he told me. I smiled and told him I hoped so. I haven't seen Riku since last year, and to be honest, I was a bit scared. With so much happening, I don't really have a solid idea of what Riku thinks of me.

* * *

><p>We're done Agrabah! What's left? I think HT, Atlantica, Pride lands, Tron's world, and 100 acre woods. Eugh, so many worlds…do I have to do Atlantica!? All they do is sing…<p>

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Here is your update! Haha, well they'll have a kiss soon or later, but he finally said it!

**JoojKA:  
><strong>I loooove teasing haha, so I'm sorry if Ryan ruined the moment. XD but the kiss will be very romantic and just perfect for them, so I'm excited for that. :D aw, I'm so glad you like my story so much! I feel so honored! And don't worry, I like a good review. Also, thank you for the congratz! I'm really so thankful that everyone is supporting me, including you. It makes me more motivated!

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>Haha, Ryan is awesome! And yeah, I plan on writing a lot until the end, and they shall be cute and le awesome! I hate those pants; I mean I don't want to see your underwear please. Have some…dignity? Yes have some dignity! I'm like that too, I'm focusing on school and staying focused. Ooh I also heard Disney owns Marval, do you think we'll get to see Iron man or Spider man!? Xd

**Dracula X:  
><strong>Yeah, I haven't written that much hugs and love in a long time for this series lol. I'm not much of a fan, but I did get to see the movie and I thought it was okay. It didn't amaze me, but it was bearable. J


	52. Under The Mistletoe

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-38350 2787

**Marie's Halloween outfit:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-Halloween-Town-261014843?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F29599925&qo=20

**Marie's Christmas Town outfit:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Overhaul-Marie-s-Christmas-Town-costume-37 6281638?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F29599925&qo=6

**A/N:**  
>Ahh, Halloween Town. This place really brings the romance I think, even though it's creepy as muck. Still, the Christmas Town part will be very romantic, and who knows?<p>

I highly suggest you listen to Jason Chen's cover of Mistletoe near the end after they fight the boss, and I know it's a Justin Bieber song[the only song I like, but it's a cover lol], but I've picked out Jason's cover because I like it a lot better, to be honest. But if you like JB, then go listen to his version, either one works. Mistletoe ;)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-Two<strong>

**ଓ**

**Under the mistletoe**

The next place on our list was Halloween Town, and we landed right outside the door to Christmas Town. We noticed there were presents around, and I wondered what was going on. We saw Jack walking towards us picking the presents, and he was in his Santa Claus outfit. He waved over to us and asked if we could help him pick up the presents, since he assumed they belonged to Santa. I gotta admit, it was a bit weird for these presents to appear, and I think Sora found it weird too.

"You just happened to find them?" he asked. Jack was perfectly sure he was done with the Christmas fantasies, and walked away with the presents. I looked at Sora and he still didn't seem convinced, even crossing his arms to prove a point. "You thought you'd hold on to the suit?"

"What? This? It's just a costume, and Sally worked so very hard making it!" he said. Well, it's true she made it, but I still wonder about Jack. He told us to come along, and although Sora still seemed suspicious, we followed Jack towards Christmas Town. He handed us a couple of gifts while he picked up the rest, and I looked at it. It looked really pretty wrapped, and I wondered what was inside—I shook my head, I shouldn't be thinking about opening it.

But I was curious…

**-x-**

After walking through the door and down towards the factory, we entered Santa's workshop and saw him pacing around and about. Jack, Sora and I placed the presents down on the table, and Santa asked where we found them.

"In Halloween Town. You'll be needing them for Christmas, right, Sandy?" asked Jack. Santa looked over the gifts, and he nodded his head, but there were more gifts out there that were stolen. We were shocked to hear that they were stolen, and I saw there heads turn towards Jack. He quickly caught on quickly though. "Oh, Sandy… you don't think it was _me_?"

Santa commented on his outfit, but Jack told him he only wore it for the occasion. He placed his boney finger on his chin and thought for a moment until telling Santa that we would have to find out who really stole the presents. Santa agreed, but then we suddenly heard a voice coming from the factory. We walked over towards the area, and noticed a door atop the room. We walked up there, and saw those three little brats messing around.

"This looks good," Barrel said as he pointed at a teddy bear. Lock and Shock turned it down, and kept looking around. "This one?"

They kept throwing gifts around and turning them down from Barrel, and I wondered what they were doing here in the first place, but it quickly hit me that they probably stole the gifts. Donald called out to them, and they slowly turned around until they jumped at our appearance.

"So _you_ three took them!" Sora scolded. They shouted back and played ignorant, not knowing what they took, and Jack told them. They said they didn't take it, but Shock snickered as she told us that it sounded like a good idea. She shouted for them to run for it, and they ran around the room.

Are you kidding me? These brats don't know when to quit. They ran around trying to take as many presents, and I spotted three large boxes. I wondered about it, and an idea popped into my head. I looked over to Sora and the others, and explained how we could trap these kids inside those boxes. Sora gave a nod, and the other three agreed. We all ran around trying to catch the kids, and I took the liberty of trying to catch Shock. She called my costume ugly last year, and now it's time for payback! I ran up to her, and she hid under the table for a bit. I bent down to try and catch, but she laughed behind me and stuck out her tongue. I groaned, got up, and ran after her, and I heard her giggle.

"Bet you can't catch me!" she said in a tune. I ran around looking for her, and I suddenly fell flat on my face to the ground, and I saw Shock behind me with her foot stuck out.

"You sneaky little witch!" I growled in annoyance. She just laughed, and I quickly got up and started running faster. She was right by the box, and I sped up even more as I jumped right on her.

"Oww!" I heard her shout. I picked her up with difficulty, since she was kicking me, and I put her in the box. The lid sealed shut, and I saw Sora, Donald and Goofy finishing with Barrel. Lock was already in a box, and I sighed out of relief. When the kids calmed down, Sora and Jack took them out of the box and they surprisingly behaved.

"Where'd you put the presents?" Sora asked. Shock retorted that they didn't have them, or that they didn't steal them, but Donald asked why they were in the factory. They confessed saying they were looking for parts for the experiment, and my thoughts went straight to Dr. Finkelstein—somehow crazy experiments always linked straight to him. I got out of my thoughts and went back to the kids, who explained that the Dr. was making them a friend to boss around.

"It's true the doctor's been hard at work making _something_ lately…," Jack trailed off. The kids got up from sitting down, and were bored with the presents anyways. They weren't scary or gross, and there was no fun in Christmas Town. The kids started walking out of the factory, and I watched as they left. They changed _a bit_ from last year, but…not by that much. We decided to head back to Santa's place, and we told him how the kids weren't responsible. Santa seemed concerned, but we saw Sally come walking in.

"Oh, thank goodness! You're all here," she said. Sora asked what was wrong, and she told us how the heartless were back in the town square. Sora looked at us, and we decided to head back to deal with the heartless, but Jack was still concerned about the gift-napper. Sally turned to him and explained about it. "Actually, I saw some of the heartless playing with the presents."

"Aha! We have out culprits!" Jack shouted. He started running towards the town square, and we all sighed as we followed. Jack seemed so concerned about finding the kidnapper, and I wondered if he still couldn't get the idea of Christmas out of his head. I won't lie that Christmas looked absolutely breathtaking with the snow and lights all around, but I really needed something to make it special for me. Every time I think of Christmas I'm just reminded of the times I could've spent it with the people closest to me, and I frown because of that.

**-x-**

We ran towards the town square once we were near enough, and we saw the mayor shouting for the Heartless to stop and get out of town, but they weren't even listening to the poor guy. He saw us and shouted for Jack to help, and we saw the Heartless with the presents. Sora quickly took out his keyblade while the rest did the same, and I stuck out my hand as I willed my keyblade. Luckily, these weren't the stronger kind of Heartless, but I was still cautious. I ran towards one of the Heartless holding the present and started attacking, it was the mummy Heartless with the stretched limbs, and it could hit pretty far. I managed to block a couple of attacks, but I saw it was going to hit me again, so I leaned back—maybe too far back, and I was about to fall. My keyblade disappeared as I touched the floor with my hands, but my legs kicked up and I felt them kicking the Heartless. My legs went over, and I managed to do a back-flip by accident. I smiled to myself, but it wasn't time to celebrate, so I quickly brought my keyblade out and attacked it. The present fell to the floor as the Heartless dropped, and I went around fighting off the rest. I keep forgetting that I could do cartwheels, and since I felt a bit more confident with fighting maybe it's about time I actually incorporate them in my fighting.

When I finished dealing with the lesser half, I looked over to the rest, who had finished up as well. I looked around to see if there were more, and I saw Jack walking up to the present. I looked down and saw a doll lying on the floor, and Jack just walked all over it. I brought my hand to say something, but he spoke when he kept examining the gift.

"What a shame! It looked like such a lovely present," Jack said. I tilted my head and wondered if he honestly didn't know the present was below him, or just chose not too. We heard the door to the Doctor's lab open, and he came rolling out shouting how someone stole his latest experiment. Seriously, who's stealing everything around here? We climbed up the stairs and into the lab, and the doctor explained that he was brainstorming when he got attacked. He passed out and later woke up to find that his experiment went missing.

"The Heartless probably took it with those presents," I said. Jack nodded, and assured the doctor we would get his thing back, but he seemed doubtful.

"Preposterous! This was nothing like a Heartless!" he retorted. Well, I'm a bit stumped, if the Heartless didn't take it, then who did? I saw Jack thinking for a while, and he looked at us with a plan. He said that if the kidnapper liked gifts so much, then we should place more presents so we can draw him into a trap. I didn't know if it would work, but Jack said he would scare a confession out of him, and I suddenly got the chills.

"What do you say we go with Jack's plan…just for now?" Sora asked Donald, Goofy and I. I shrugged my shoulders and nodded, since we didn't have anything else at the moment. Donald and Goofy also agreed, and we headed back to Santa's to fill him in on the plan.

**-x-**

"Presents as bait? Goodness…I don't like the sound of that," Santa said as he placed a finger on his chin. Jack lowered his head in disappointment, and I felt bad for him. I looked around, and wondered about something. I called out Santa's name and he looked at me, and I asked if I had any presents while I was younger and before I went into a coma. He stroked his beard and walked over to his desk to look for something, and when he brought out a piece of paper he looked at me. "Well, actually…I do have a couple of gifts from when you little. Your parents asked you to write a letter which you wrote you wanted blankets, sandals and a pretty nightlight."

My face flushed when he read about the nightlight, and I heard Goofy and Donald chuckling. I sighed and walked over to Santa as he showed me the letter, and I laughed at how funny my writing looked. There were about five gifts for me when I was young, and I was shocked at how many gifts I had for just one year, but glad for them at this moment. "Do you think we can use these gifts, then? I know you probably worked hard on them, but at least we won't be using your factory just to make decoy gifts," I asked.

Again, Santa stroked his beard as he thought for a moment, and he took quite a while. He asked if I was sure, and I nodded my head a bit too eagerly, I mean he probably wasted a lot of material losing the other gifts, so I didn't want him using more. He went back into thinking, and finally agreed. He walked to the factory to get the presents, and I went back to looking down at the letter. I heard footsteps approaching, and I looked up as I saw Sora walking to me. He looked at the letter and laughed too, which made me chuckle, and then he looked at me.

"You wanted a nightlight?" he asked. I felt myself blush again, but he wasn't making fun of me or anything. He wondered why I needed one, and I couldn't really remember why, but I did remember crying at times while it was night. "Nightmares?"

"Maybe," I replied. I brought the letter a little closer to my chest and looked up towards the ceiling. "It's weird though, because I remember not crying after I met Stella, which was after being kidnapped."

"Maybe she got rid of the nightmares for you," Sora suggested. I smiled at him, and wondered the same thing. I was about to say something, but I saw Santa come out with my presents, and we helped him by grabbing them. Goofy asked where we should leave them, and Santa told us he knew a good spot. He started walking outside his place, and we followed him towards a corner in the town that led into the plaza.

"This plaza should work well for your plan," he said. he asked what Jack's plan was, and the guy stated explaining it all, but when he got to the part about delivering the gifts Sora came in and placed his hand over his mouth.

"And on that note, we'll be going," he smiled at Santa. Jack was trying to get out of the grasp, but Donald and Goofy helped Sora as they dragged him into the plaza. I followed along, but thanked Santa before going. He smiled and thanked me for not having to use any other presents, and I told him it was no problem. He walked back into his workshop, and I ran towards Sora and the others.

**-x-**

"Stop kicking, Goofy!"

"It's not me, Donald."

"Patience, friends."

"Shhh!"

"I said cut it out!" Donald shouted again. He stumbled a bit and it made the box move. I gasped a bit, and I gotta say…being in a box with four other people was a bit overwhelming. Jack came up with the idea that we should also be bait, and I was starting to think that maybe…it wasn't such a good idea. Jack was hovering over us, Donald was trying not to get kicked, and I don't know what Goofy was doing. Sora held my hand when we got in, so I was glad for that.

"How come we have to be the bait?" I heard Sora ask. Jack thought it was a good plan, and I heard Donald yelping out in pain. I raised my eyebrow and just wondered _who_ was hitting Donald, since I was pretty close to Sora and _stayed_ close to him. I didn't touch anyone else, so it probably was Goofy or Jack, maybe even Sora hitting the poor guy. We all stopped talking once we heard clanking noises, and we kept silent until the noise got louder. We heard his clanking right outside the box, and we all jumped up and hopefully surprised the guy.

"Huh?" Jack said. We looked up and saw that the thief was a big floppy robot, and I sighed when I knew who it belonged to. "Doctor Finkelstein's experiment did it!"

Jack jumped out of the box, and it caused it to tumble over. I shouted when Sora, Donald and Goofy fell on top of me, and I yelled for them to get off. When they did I lifted my face to find it covered in snow, and I groaned in annoyance as I got up. I wiped it off though, and quickly took out my keyblade as we all prepared to fight the robot. He was flinging his arms around, since they were springy, and it was obvious to note that we'd have to watch out. Sora ran straight towards it, and I stayed behind a bit to cast some spells at it with Donald. He flung his spring arms around, and I jumped up in time to block the attack and ducked after. I rolled out of the way and got on my knees as I went to cast a few more spells. Sora jumped up to attack it with Jack, and because Jack was so tall, he was able to attack more fluidly.

Goofy spun around with his shield to attack, and I ran up to deal some attacks. I pulled the trigger of my keyblade, and the stars from it shot out to attack the guy. They came back, and I jumped out of the way when the robot attacked again. Sora and Jack were dealing the most damage at the moment, and the robot looked like it was about to keel over at any moment. I ran beside Sora as we both attacked it, and Jack came in with Donald firing some spells. I was thankful that this was just an experiment of Dr. Finkelstein and not a ravaging Heartless, or this would have taken a lot longer. Sora was about to deal the final strike, but he tripped over the robot's arms. I was going to help him, but I heard metal hit against metal, and I looked towards the robot.

I saw a white keyblade standing in front of the now lying robot, and I knew who that keyblade belonged to. Donald and Goofy gasped as they saw it, and Sora got up as he took a glance at it. I looked around, but I couldn't find her anywhere…Aura was no where in sight, and I knew that keyblade belonged to her.

"Aura!" I shouted, hoping she'd come out of the shadows. The keyblade disappeared, and Sora walked up and asked if it belonged to Aura. I nodded, and he looked around as well. No one spoke a word, but I couldn't hear anything from that girl. No footsteps or snow crunching…nothing. I sighed, and heard Jack cheering about how we solved the mystery. We heard jingle bells and I looked up as I saw Santa flying down to us on his sleigh.

"Did you catch the thief?" he asked. We nodded, but Sora questioned why the doctor's experiment would go around stealing Christmas presents. Santa didn't know about the experiment, and Jack explained about it to him, saying it was a moving puppet made by him. Santa walked up to it and examined it, and commented on how Dr. Finkelstein was always tinkering with stuff. _Is that ever true._

"Now listen, Jack. I'd like to thank you, and while delivering presents is something only I can do," Santa said as he turned around. "I can give you an idea of what it's like."

Jack was so excited that he literally jumped from where we were to the sleigh, and I raised my eyebrow at it. Santa turned around and told us that the puppet, or robot, whichever, just wanted a heart. He got back on his sleigh, and we watched as he and Jack soared through the sky.

**-x-**

**Sora **

"Interesting! So the puppet wasn't stolen after all! It ran away on it's own. In other words, my experiment was an overwhelming success," Doctor Finkelstein said. Sora explained what Santa had said, and how the puppet was trying to find a heart. The doctor agreed saying how, unlike Sally; the puppet was made without a heart. Sora wondered why it was stealing presents if it wanted a heart.

"Maybe because," Sally said as she walked up to Sora, Donald and Goofy. "Presents are a way to give your heart to someone special."

Sora placed a finger on this chin, and started to feel bad for the puppet when Sally put it like that. They heard jingle bells again, and looked around to see Jack jumping from the sky. He landed perfectly on his feet, and Santa wished them all a happy Halloween as snow began to fall. Sally gasped in awe and thought it was a lovely gift, but Jack didn't understand since it didn't come in a box or wasn't tied in a bow.

"Jack, it's not about the box or the ribbons, it's about what's _inside_ the box!" Sora explained. Sally shook her head, and corrected Sora by saying what was truly special was the act of giving the gift—to wish deep within the heart to make someone else happy.

"Right…of course! Thank you, Sally, you're absolutely right," Jack said. He started feeling weird right after, and told them how he felt very happy. Goofy told him that it was probably Sally's gift, and Jack's expression softened. He walked up to her and placed her hands within his, "Oh Sally! You've given me the nicest present in the world! And I've nothing to give you in return. What would you like? Just name it. Absolutely anything."

"The nicest present I could ever ask for, Jack, is just to be with you." Sally placed her hands on top of Jack's, and smiled at the skeletal man. Jack smiled, and told her that it was a gift she didn't have to ask for. He took her hands and started dancing with her around the town square, and Sora watched as he thought about what Sally said. He looked down and sighed.

"Maybe… I never gave her a real present," Sora said aloud. Donald and Goofy looked over to him, and Goofy placed his arms around Sora's shoulders as Donald told him that Marie really liked the gift he gave her last year. Sora still wasn't sure, since Marie liked a lot of things, and she wasn't the type to put someone down because she didn't like their gift. Goofy laughed, and shook Sora a bit.

"Well, as long as Marie is with you, she won't need anything else," Goofy said, recalling how Marie said the same thing herself. Sora smiled at the memory, and continued to watch Sally and Jack dance. He closed his eyes for a moment, and imagined him dancing with Marie, and he chuckled a bit to himself before widening his eyes. If all she wanted out of this was to be with him, then he had somewhere to be. He told Goofy and Donald that he'd be back, but they already knew, and told him to take his time.

**-x-**

**Marie**

I stayed behind because I wanted to take in the snowy scenery before we left, and I told the guys to get me in case I took too long, which I think they might have to do. I was on the carousel, and I noticed that the top of it was growing some kind of plant, but I couldn't make it out. It didn't really matter, since I wasn't paying attention, and the only thing I could do was use my magic as it made the carousel move around. I smiled as it did, and I looked around as the snow fell, which started falling not too long ago. Maybe it was because I remembered my Christmas clearly at Hollow Bastion with Ansem, but the snow, lights and buildings made for a lovely and serene landscape. It helped that I was sitting across on the horse that I was on, that way I was able to see everything as I spun around. I kept looking around until I saw Sora running towards me, and I stopped making the carousal spin so I could look at him. I smiled when he came closer, and the carousal came to a full stop. "Are we leaving already?" I asked.

"No, I just wanted to be here with you," he said. he walked up to the horse I was on and sat on it as he held the handles, and I was still sitting across, but now I was in front of him—kind of like how someone sits across someone's lap. He had to spread his legs a bit so that we were both sitting comfortably, and I smiled at his politeness. He used his keyblade to make the carousel spin, and I gave a content sigh as I placed my head on his shoulder and wrapped my arms around his waist—it's a good thing he's tall and I'm not. He chuckled and placed an arm around mine, and we kept spinning. "So, what's this place have that you like so much?" he asked.

"The scenery is beautiful, and I really like the whole snow with Christmas lights," I chimed. I grew a bit sad, just because I didn't celebrate Christmas like any normal kid, and Sora knew that. I told him how I really only remember Christmas with Ansem, and I also remember spending it a bit with Cid, Lea and Isa. It was such a magical Christmas because it was the first I could remember, and I spent it with people who I loved, even if they weren't related to me. I gave a soft smile as I looked down to the snow, "I can't wait to spend Christmas when we all go home…hanging out and just creating memories. How's Christmas like on Destiny Islands? I can't remember much."

"It doesn't snow this much, but it gets chilly," he said. He lowered his head on mine, and gave a sigh that sounded like he was reliving Christmas. "They lit up my street with so many lights, same thing with the square. I liked the parades… Riku, Kairi and I went every year."

"Sounds amazing," I said. We kept spinning around, and Sora told me how he was looking forward to spending Christmas with me, and my face started to turn pink. He started telling me about how he and everyone started talking about gifts, and how Jack thought it was about the box with wrapping and pretty ribbons. I laughed at this, since it didn't surprise me, but then he got to what Sally was saying, and I listened.

"She said that what really is special about a gift is the act of giving, to wish deep in my heart to make someone else happy," he said. He looked a bit down, and I asked him what was going through his mind, "I just feel like the necklace wasn't enough…"

The carousel stopped spinning, and I got up from leaning against his shoulder. He still looked down, so I used my finger to lift his chin so we were staring at each other, and I smiled at him. "Sora, you're the best gift I could ever ask for. You're what I needed after years of being caged up feeling sad and lonely; you make me so very happy."

Sora stared as he gave a really genuine smile, and I returned the look. We stayed like this for a bit, until something fell from above Sora's head. It fell right in between us, and we both looked down towards it…it was a mistletoe. He picked it up, and we just stared at it… was that mistletoe the plant that was growing atop the carousel? I looked up, and saw that it wasn't dangling off anything—so how was it here? I saw Sora holding it above our heads, and my face started turning red along with his. He gave a slight chuckle, and pointed at the thing. "Well, it _is_ Christmas…"

I smiled as he kept staring at me, and I noticed how his eyes shined brighter than usual, but they had such a lovely color of blue to them in the snow. I mean, they were the same blue, but the snow and lights around us gave them a shimmer of crystal and I found myself wrapping my hands around his shoulders. He placed his arms around my waist and like at Hollow Bastion, we started getting closer. I had to lean down as he looked up, and when his eyes started to slowly go down I did the same. My heart was pounding faster than anything before, and I felt my breathing getting a bit short. I noticed his breath was getting shaky as he opened his mouth, and I was almost a bit too nervous to open mine, but I did it anyways. When we started getting closer I felt the heat coming from his lips, and not a moment after we touched lips. I brought one of my hands up as I cupped his cheek, and the kiss felt…right, it felt wonderful. His lips were warm and they were very soft, and I felt my stomach flutter with butterflies as our foreheads touched. We kissed for just a few more seconds until we parted, and we stared at each other as we were catching our breaths from the nervousness. He smiled at me with soft expressions, and I placed my forehead against his.

"Merry Christmas, Marie," I heard him say as he brought me into a tight and warm hug. "You went through ten years without Christmas, so I'll give you a special one. I love you."

"Thank you so much." I wanted to cry, not because of anything bad, but because of how wonderfully beautiful this boy can be. Giving me a Christmas like this to make up for the ones I didn't have those years… I'm a lucky person. I'll never forget this memory.

"I love you so much, Sora."

* * *

><p>Sorry if Sora seemed OOC…but kiss scenes! MISTLETOE YOU SAVED THE DAY FOR ME, YAY!<p>

Now to deal with the awkwardness that is Atlantica.

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Lol I still have the second pride Lands and second visit to Tron's world after Atlantica I think. After that it's Twilight Town then The World That Never Was.

**JoojKA:  
><strong>I'm glad that Aura appeals to you the most; since she's a character that I really enjoy writing about. She is a mystery, but what I like writing is the fact that she is a strong girl with thoughts of her own and is fearless. Haha yea I like writing her interactions with all them too, even though I'm torn between Axel/Roxas or Riku for her.

Aw, yea we call it Sorie I guess haha! I hope the kiss was up to par, I really wanted to make it with mistletoe and Christmas since Marie loves the snow and the whole story with this world just fit in so perfectly.

Aw thank you! I'm really glad you like my style of writing, even though the fight scenes are annoying to me haha, but I do love writing so I put my heart into writing a very meaningful story. I'm still new to adding in a lot of details and such, but for the emotions part I get those written as I imagine myself in types of situations with Aura or Marie. Aw, I'm really honored you think of me as an inspiration, keep the love going! :D

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>Haha pretty much if you think about it, I just switched a button and BOOM! Oh, Saix does know Marie, and she does too—but as Isa, not as Saix. I see a lot of crying on Marie's part, since those two were about her only friends when everyone started leaving her [Riku, aqua, Ansem, etc.] and it's always sad when you have a friend who changes for the worst. Yeah, I'm still thinking of how I'm going to write that out, I know Marie will be super ecstatic to see Riku and super annoyed at how tall he got lol. I haven't seen the new spider-man since it didn't appeal to me, but if they add spider-man I want the good o'l Peter Parker. Lol, I can see a lot of jokes with iron man or Tony Stark since he's a funny guy.


	53. Pride Rock

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-38350 2787

**Marie in pridelands:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-in-pridelands-coloured-240540217

**A/N:**  
>We are now entering the pride lands for the second time—where we fight spirit Scar? Sure. After this it's Atlantica, Tron's world, and 100 acre woods. I don't think I'm missing anything, right? If so, then I might want to make this story pass 60 chapters.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-Three<br>****ଓ  
><strong>**Pride Rock**

Aura and Axel walked around Halloween Town for a bit more, and he kept a smirk on his face the whole time they did. He knew about how she dropped a mistletoe on Sora and Marie, and she grew annoyed at his constant teasing. He kept calling her a good girl and teased about the fact that she could be cupid for a living. Of course, he received a punch to the stomach after too much teasing, and he walked around rubbing the area where she punched him.

"Why'd you do it, anyway?" he asked, looking at her as she crossed her arms. She didn't know _why_ she did it, but she figured after all of the things that she had seen being with Sora, Marie, Donald and Goofy, she might as well do one good deed before she ends up disappearing. Axel scratched the back of his head and didn't like the words 'disappear' as much as she did, but he knew she would become whole if she went back to Marie. Aura didn't want to think about it much, since she wanted to spend as much time as she could with Axel—Roxas too if he hadn't disappeared.

"Guess you'll be staying with me for a while," Aura said as she placed a hand on her hip. Axel was only staying with Aura for a while to keep her company, since he had a few things to do. He still had Roxas, Sora, and Marie stuck in his mind, and wasn't sure what to do about Isa.

How were things going to end?

**-x-**

**Marie**

We were back to the Pride Lands after getting back from Halloween Town, and the first thing that Goofy told me was how different I looked. I kept smiling to myself and blushing, and Donald said Sora looked a bit different too. They didn't know what happened, but I think Goofy knew, since he made such slight comments towards it. Either way, it didn't bother me, and I don't think it bothered Sora. We kept close while the ship flew us, and it felt so peaceful.

Well, back to now, we were walking along the lands until we saw those three hyenas, and I stood on my guard. Shenzi kissed her teeth when she noticed it was us, hoping to find food. Sora greeted them with a friendly smile, and we all followed with smiles as well, but they didn't seem so happy.

"Don't gimme any of that "hiya" stuff! Thanks to you clowns, we're back to scavenging scraps for a living," Banzai retorted. I sat on my behind and watched as he got annoyed, but Shenzi didn't mind all that much, saying they enjoyed the elephant they had…which sounds completely morbid to be honest. Sora asked how Simba was doing, and Shenzi started laughing uncontrollably. I raised my eyebrow, and Banzai looked over to her. "We gotta laugh every time we hear that's dude's name."

She told Banzai to say his name again, and when he did she started laughing. He kept saying Simba's name, and even Ed started laughing with her. They kept saying his name and they just straight out started laughing, and I wondered what was wrong with the name. Sora grew annoyed and told them to stop, but Shenzi just laughed at us as she walked away. Before doing so, though, she turned back and told us to go see Simba.

"Simba is one wishy-washy king," she said. Banzai laughed and told us that he was betting the lionesses were wishing they had a different king, and I assumed they were probably referencing to Scar. They completely left the area, and I looked over to Donald and Goofy, who seemed confused about the whole thing.

"We should probably go see Simba," I suggested. Sora agreed along with Donald and Goofy, and we all walked over towards Pride Rock. Once there, however, we stopped when dark smoke appeared, and Scar came out. I gasped when we saw him, but he quickly disappeared, and I looked around—he was nowhere in sight.

"We better tell Simba about this," Goofy suggested. I was quick to agree, since Scar was enemy number on for him. Sora and Donald also agreed, but I could tell that it was bothering Sora more than it should. Well, it was bothering all of us to be honest. We walked up a bit until we saw a lioness, and she asked if we were here to see Simba.

"Yeah, we saw Scar's ghost!" Sora pointed out. She lowered her head a bit and then looked at us while saying that something like that could only foretell the end of their pride, and I was starting to get really worried now. She said that Simba wouldn't do anything, and commented on how he wasn't ready to rule the kingdom his father left behind. I was getting a bit down with this lioness' pessimistic attitude, but she left after. I looked ahead and saw the cave where Simba probably was, and we all started walking towards it. We saw Simba lying down in the center, and we smiled towards us.

"You came back…" he said, trying to force a smile. We noticed he didn't look so good, in fact, he looked downright miserable. I really wondered what had happened during the time we were away, but it looks like nothing really changed all that much. The lionesses were still upset, and their only king was off in lala-land.

"Hey, Simba. Why don't we team up and do something about that Scar ghost?" Sora asked. Simba didn't say anything, so he continued, "Seems like everyone's worried about it. So, now's your big chance to show 'em what you're really made of!"

"That doesn't concern you!" Simba shouted, which caused us to jump. He obviously didn't look too happy, and he growled a bit. We stopped for a moment, and looked down as he sighed and apologized. "I just wish I knew what my father would do."

If it were that easy we'd help him find out, and Goofy told him that he wasn't here and he had to do the important thing and that was what he was going to do as king, not what his father would have done. It was all up to Simba, and he was starting to realize that. Timon and Pumbaa appeared, and they encouraged him as well. I jumped a bit at their sudden entrance, but I was very happy to see them nonetheless.

"We know your dad was a great king and all, but now it's your turn. Remember what I taught ya, 'you gotta put the past behind you'," Timon said as he walked up to Simba. He had a confident smile on his face as he looked at the king, and he continued. "It's time to go out there and show everybody things are gonna be just fine!"

We all offered words of encouragement, but the most came from Timon and Pumbaa, who told him that he had to live for today and find his own path; not his father's. Simba repeated the words, and we kept encouraging him. Nala appeared from behind and was glad to hear Simba realize what he had to do, and stood beside him as she asked us to help him. There was so question we were going to help, and she smiled at us and looked at Simba.

"I'm counting on you, Simba…and so is our baby," she said as she nuzzled him. Aww, a baby! Hearing that news was so exciting, now we have to work ten times harder for Simba's little blessing! I smiled so widely about it, and Timon sighed as he thought about babysitting. We all gave out a good laugh, and Simba seemed to have returned to his former self, which we were glad for.

"Let's go see Rafiki first. I'm sure he'll be able to tell us something about that ghost," Simba suggested. If I recall, Rafiki is that baboon we saw on our first journey here. Well, we agreed, and started making our way towards this guy's place. It wasn't that far as it was still in the area, and when we entered we saw Rafiki, who turned to us.

"Oh ho ho! The king—is he ready to be king?" Rafiki asked. Simba wasn't so sure, but he wanted to be. Sora asked if Rafiki could tell us about Scar's ghost, and he told us that the ghost was created whenever the evil heart of Scar met the hesitating heart of Simba. The definition of that sounded so much like a heartless, and Goofy thought the same when he told it aloud.

"Hmm, I don't know," replied Sora. Rafiki told us that we didn't know, but that it was upsetting not only us but everyone in the Pride Lands. The world was filled with things we didn't know, and Rafiki told us that it was something Simba, as king, should face—a sort of test for him.

"That's it? Come on, there was to be more," Simba said. Rafiki was unwilling to give out more details, but he told us that the hyenas would know something. I sighed, and we started heading out towards the elephant graveyard, where the hyenas were. I guess the only good thing was that I was finally getting adjusted to walking in this form, but that sadly didn't help the situation at hand.

**-x-**

"Whoa…" Sora said in awe as we reached the elephant graveyard. Honestly, it was a huge place with bones and sticks lit up with fire. The size was pretty impressive on its own. We quickly spotted the three hyenas, and they didn't seem happy at all to see us, but Simba asked away about Scar's ghost.

"Huh? Scar's ghost?" Shenzi asked. Ed started doing that really annoying laugh, and Banzai ran away, hinting that they probably did know something. All three of them started running away, and I lowered my head at the thought of running in this form. Still, I dragged my feet, err—paw around until I started running. I willed my Keyblade to my mouth and started chasing the closest one near me, which happened to Shenzi. She started laughing and mocking the fact that I was slow for a lioness, and I groaned in annoyance—are all hyenas so mean?

"I'm not gonna stop running, you know!" I shouted. She laughed at me, and I looked through the corners of my eye to find that Donald and Goofy had Ed under control. I ran a bit faster, and I was pretty close to Shenzi, so I tried jumping on her. Unfortunately, it didn't end well, but I managed to roll up and keep running. "If I ask nicely will you slow down?" I asked.

"Ha! You wish!" she mocked. I narrowed my eyes and got tired of this, so I ran as fast as I could, which wasn't by enough, and got pretty close to her. I jumped up a bit to cast a spell, and when the ice hit her feet she yelped and slipped down. I took the chance to cast aero, just to make her dizzy, and she groaned and struggled to move around. I smiled, quickly ran up and jumped on her while I stuck my tongue out. This Marie is on fire! I looked over to Simba and Sora, who had Banzai cornered, and brought him along with Ed to where I was. I jumped off Shenzi, and the three of them got up as we all cornered them.

"Oh no…I guess you caught us _all_," Banzai mocked. These guys obviously weren't at all threatened by us, but Simba demanded to know about Scar's ghost. They joked about how Scar was the one who hung around people who were scared, and right off cue he appeared behind us.

"Must be a fraidy cat around here somewhere!" Shenzi laughed. We turned around to face Scar, and Simba was, in fact, scared to do anything. The ghost asked Simba how it felt to be king, saying he must be a truly inspiring since he was the son of Mufasa. Simba backed away and ran off, and we all called out to him.

"Ah, Simba…running away as always," said the Scar ghost. He disappeared after, and the hyenas left laughing their butts off. I was about ready to yell at them, but Goofy made a point saying that Rafiki was right—Simba was scared and unsure about taking up the throne.

"We should talk to Simba about it some more," I suggested. They agreed, and we walked back to Pride Rock. When we returned, we saw Nala and Rafiki standing right outside, and Nala asked where Simba was. It was hard to tell her, but Rafiki pretty much answered for us that he ran away. He then told us that if Simba wanted to face his fears, he needed to go somewhere where the only thing he could do was think about _what_ to do. Timon mentioned he was by the oasis, since it was their favorite hangout, and so we set off finding Simba at the oasis…

I noticed the amount of walking we're doing, and I feel lazy. _Soooooo lazy_.

**-x-**

Well, despite my laziness, we managed to make it to the oasis. We walked through it a bit, and we saw Simba being cornered by the ghost of Scar. We quickly ran towards him, and the ghost disappeared, but Simba seemed pretty bummed about it.

"It's no use. I'll never be the king my father was," Simba groaned.

"You shouldn't strive to be someone else, Simba," I said. He still looked bummed, but I decided to continue. "There can only be one of us, so we should really be ourselves."

"Yeah, you can't be Mufasa. You can only be you," Sora added. I nodded along, and Sora spoke again. "Everybody believes in you as a king. They just want to see what you'll do. And if anyone's saying they liked your father better, it's because you haven't done much yet, that's all."

"So you just gotta stop thinking of what your dad would do, and do what you feel is right," I added. Simba looked down a bit, until he looked back at us and told us he knew all of what we were trying to tell him.

"So stop moping and **do** something!" Sora retorted.

"I can't!" Simba shouted back. We stood in silence for a moment, until Sora reluctantly agreed with him. Donald suggested we go, and Sora turned around complaining how we shouldn't stick around if Simba wasn't even going to try. Goofy and I stood there staring at each other, unsure of what to do, since I didn't want to be rude and put Simba down even more.

"C'mon guys," Sora said as he turned his head towards us. I frowned a bit, but I guess if Simba sees people aren't willing to wait…maybe he'll start doing something? I hoped so. Goofy and I walked away and followed Sora and Donald down towards bottom, but once Simba turned around Sora dragged us behind a log near Simba. I was about to ask what was going on, but then I saw ghost Scar appear behind him, and Sora hushed us.

"The hesitant king will one day lose all his friends," Sora said, impersonating Scar. I raised my eyebrow, but soon Donald started taking over.

"King Simba the doubtful," he said. Goofy walked up a bit further beside us, and spoke right after.

"Worried by a silly ol' ghost…," he said. They looked at me, and I ducked my head—how do I sound all scary and mean? I cleared my throat as quietly as I could and looked over to Simba; man... Ryan would be better suited with these kinds of things.

"Uhh, Simba the 'I can't do anything' king," I said. They started snickering and I groaned in embarrassment, I suck at trying to be a ghost—and here I thought it would be easy!

"No!" Simba shouted. Donald continued and told him to try and stop him, still pretending to be Scar, and we saw Simba running straight at it. The ghost disappeared and we ran over to Simba, glad that he finally took a literal step forward to stand up to the ghost. Simba smiled as he looked at us, "you know, I'm really lucky to have friends who'll stand by me…and help me see clearly. My father…wasn't so fortunate."

We were a bit weary hearing him talk about his dad but Simba told us that everyone wants him to succeed, and that he had all of us, including Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki and Nala wanting the best for him. His dad, however, always had Scar behind him trying to bring him down. Simba had to make the best from his blessings and rebuild his kingdom, but there was a difference between talking about it and doing it… I learned that from Aura.

"Simba! Simba! Come quick!" we heard Timon shouting out towards us, he was in such a panic, and jittered everywhere he walked. He told us there were a lot of ghosts of Scar haunting the Pride Lands, "Everyone but Nala high-tailed it outta there and now she needs your help."

Simba didn't let Timon finish as he went running straight to the ghosts, but he was definitely happy to see Simba growing up and finding his place in the world. Simba turned back and told us we were going too, and I chuckled as we started running with Simba.

**-x-**

Back at Pride Rock, we saw a ghost of Scar cornering Nala and Pumbaa, and quickly ran up to them. Nala asked where Simba was and we all made way and bowed as Simba, the great king he will be, came walking with a strut as he was ready to take the throne again.

"I've come back, Nala," he told her. The ghost of Scar walked up to Simba, and they were inches away from each other. I was on my toes as we watched them stare at each other, but Simba had it all under control as he ordered the ghost to get out of his lands. He disappeared, and we all cheered for the guy. Simba walked up to Nala and were glad to see each other, and I smiled as Sora came up and nuzzled me with his chin. I gave him a lick, which was the equivalent of a kiss I guess, and he laughed as he licked me back.

However, that was short lived as we saw specks of black smoke gather around towards the middle of the land. Simba turned around and asked if we were with him and we were all ready to kick evil butt, "Now and forever, your majesty!" Sora added.

We all ran down the rocks and headed straight towards the black smoke, and once we were there, we saw it gather into a giant ball of black smoke. It got bigger for a while until out appeared a giant, four-legged Heartless with plants all over its body. Its body looked like it was made out of rocks or something, but this thing was **huge**. Sora and Simba stood on one side while Donald, Goofy and I dealt with the other side, and we began casting a couple of spells. Immediately, I chanted one of the spells I had just learned, which caused a tornado to surround the Heartless. It spun around for a while and fell down while being unconscious for a bit.

Sora and Simba took the chance to hit it, while I also joined in with my Keyblade. I wasn't really well adjusted to this form, even though I spent so much time running around in it, but I was able to get in a few attacks. Donald kept casting thunder, while Goofy spun around hitting the hind legs. I ran up behind the Heartless and attacked the side of its leg, and I saw it trying to get up. When I stopped attacking, I noticed something moving around on top of it, and I took a closer look to see another Heartless there. When the bigger Heartless got up, the other one stopped moving, and I figured it must be the main Heartless or the 'heart' of the Heartless.

"Sora, we gotta attack the Heartless on top of the bigger one," I said. We both ran around, but when we couldn't get on top he was a bit confused. "Let's bring it down first, and then we'll climb on top."

He nodded, and we both started attacking the legs of the Heartless. Donald and Goofy tried doing the same, while Simba attacked evenly on all legs. I cast my tornado spell again with Donald casting aero, and the Heartless fell down as he went unconscious. Sora, Simba and I climbed on its head and ran up until we saw another Heartless on top of it. Sora and Simba started attacking it while I kept casting my magic, but the Heartless used wind magic to blow all of us off. I shouted at the sudden attack, but I used my aero spell to soften the landing. I quickly healed us in case of any wounds and we all got to attack the legs again, except this time the Heartless starting using its legs to stomp the ground.

"Watch out!" I heard Sora shout. I looked ahead and saw the shockwave heading to me when it stomped, and I jumped just in time to avoid it. My landing wasn't so neat, since I fell on my back, but at least I was safe from the stomp. This would probably be a lot easier if we were in human form, but I couldn't sulk on it. Donald and Goofy managed to bring down the Heartless, and I saw Sora and Simba run up its head. I followed close behind and decided to attack it with my Keyblade, which proved a little difficult. I swung myself at the Heartless on top and I moved my Keyblade with my mouth to attack it a couple of times, but it went down when Simba attacked it.

We all jumped down and watched both the Heartless on top and the giant Heartless disappear into smoke, with the heart floating its way up to Kingdom Hearts. I sighed in relief as it disappeared, but Simba still wasn't done, so we headed back to Pride Rock.

**-x-**

"Simba seems fine now," Sora said as we all watched him stand on the ledge with Nala. Rafiki was glad that he was back, and told us how the Pride Lands would not forget his courage, and our courage for that matter. All I hope is that the Pride Lands don't forget how much we ran around, since my paws felt worn out.

"Do you think your quest will ever be over?" Simba asked, looking at all of us. We weren't sure, but Sora said that as long as the Keyblades stayed with us, we'd have to keep fighting. I frowned at this, because fighting is something I've never had to do—and to do it in a matter of a year or two seemed so much for me. I could probably never be as good as Sora or Riku, since those two have been playing with wooden swords their whole life, but I'll find something that I'm good at.

"Ahh… the struggle never ends, that is the great Circle of Life," Rafiki said. Sora seemed disappointed at the words never, but Rafiki told us that the secret to victory was a strong heart. He pointed towards the sky and we looked up for a moment, but then he started laughing and told us to go and fight.

"Till we meet again, Your Majesty," Sora said as we all bowed down. Simba smiled and hoped it would be soon, and we hoped as well. We said goodbye to everyone else and ran off towards the teleporter, which would take us back to the ship. Before doing so though, I jumped on Sora and tackled him down the floor. When I got up I started running a bit ahead and laughed as I stopped to turn around, and I saw Sora laughing.

"Come on, we're in the wilderness! Let's have a race!" I shouted. I started running ahead and I heard Sora reaching up to me, which caused me to jump a bit. He started laughing again, and I felt him tackle me as he got on top.

"If I become a king one day, you'll be my queen," he said as he licked my cheek. I smiled at him and gave a short giggle, until I lifted myself and got on top of him.

"I'd be with you either way," I nuzzled his chin with my head, and he gave me another lick. We started giggling until we heard Donald clear his throat, and I got off as we both stood staring at him. They started laughing though, and we all laughed our way towards the ship.

* * *

><p>Yay, that's one world down, about three more to go. The next world is the dreaded Altantica and that means musicals and I hate musicals. Well, not all…but still.<p>

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Haha, thank you! I tried my best to make it as perfect as I could.

**JoojKA:  
><strong>Awww, thanks so much, but you don't know how hard it was for me to write that scene. Since this is my first time actually writing kissing scenes, I thought I was going to ruin it, so I spent a great deal of time making it sound just right. Haha, right? The mistletoe was such a great thing to add, Halloween Town world is such a great place! I'll try not to make him OOC next time, but I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'll have a couple of more cute moments I hope, so stay tuned for that :D Aura helped a lot more thank you think ;) thank you for supporting! Love you too~

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>Ahh, it sounds sooo much better than the original and it was just so nice with the scene and agggh. She'll be so shocked about Isa, since she's already met Axel/Lea. The worst will be when she finds out about Saix in Kingdom Hearts 3D/3, but she'll be so happy to see Lea though. Aqua? I guess Terra lol, I don't know, they seem like a cute couple. xD I probably won't, and really? That's so sad I love RDJ! I'm glad he'll be in the avengers though, that's a great relief because I LOVE the avengers.

**Dracula X:  
><strong>It's the most beautiful time of the year, and winter is such a lovely sight to see when the trees are all decorated with lights and people singing and children playing in the snow. :D

**Captainface:  
><strong>Welcome back to Earth! Glad to see you again. :D aha, yes I have finally provided a scene where I promised a kiss! Oh gosh, tell me about it. I still don't know if I want Marie to enter Tron's world, but I'm still debating. Atlantica… -shudder-

**WingOfHope:  
><strong>Aha, I'm glad you thought so! I thought it be sweeter this way if I made him imagine Marie, and totally! Donald and Goofy would definitely do that and I saw it in my head as I wrote the chapter haha. Ah yes, the reunion. I won't have to worry so much about Riku, since Aura is kinda there, but Kairi… well, I guess we'll have to wait.


	54. I don't wanna swim under the sea!

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-383502787

**Marie in her mermaid form:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/LOL-Mermaid-Marie-204002672

**A/N:  
><strong>Nooooooo, back to the dreaded place that is Atlantica! Please, please, please excuse me if I end up making this chapter full of fail, 'cause I know I'll struggle so hard with the musicals here. I've kinda decided to make this a 'let's poke fun at Marie because she hates Atlantica' chapter, so maybe hilarity will ensue?

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-Four<br>****ଓ  
><strong>**I don't want to swim under the sea!**

"No!" I shouted as I hid behind my chair. Sora, Donald and Goofy all snickered as they told me the next world was Atlantica, and at first I wasn't sure what that world was, but then they mentioned Ariel, and…. Well, let's just say I wasn't at my finest. Well… I _kinda _freaked out. _Actually_… I freaked out a lot.

"C'mon, it won't be that bad," I heard Sora say, who was suddenly behind me. I gasped as he hugged and twirled me around. He started running to the teleporter, and I started shouting—begging not to go. Donald and Goofy laughed as they encouraged Sora, and we were right at the teleporter when it zapped us towards Atlantica. This is how I die!

**-x-**

We all sprouted into the water, and almost instantly, I swam—or more like floated—towards a rock down to the seabed. I looked at Sora, Donald and Goofy and I gotta say that Sora seemed more…in shape…I never actually noticed that he was gaining muscle, but uh…I don't think now was the time to gawk at him.

Well, it was, but…I had a problem to deal with, and it was what I was looking at—which was my shirt. It was the same as last year, the pink tube top with a transparent fabric hanging underneath it, and I sighed as I dropped my shoulders. I looked down, and when I did, I noticed that my chest filled a bit more of my tube top, and my mouth widened.

"I grew!" I shouted as I jumped out of the rock. I noticed Sora, Donald and Goofy looking at me, and I blushed almost immediately as I covered my torso. I felt two soft arms wrap around me, and when I turned around I saw Ariel hugging me from behind. "Ariel!"

"Marie! Sora! Donald! Goofy!" she called happily. She let go of me, and I started losing my balance, finally noticing something else other than my chest. Sora was doing the same, and Ariel swam around us as she started giggling. "Forget how to swim?"

"Then you guys got to practice! You follow Flounder—he show you what to do," Sebastian told us. It was easier said than done, since I was still falling towards the seabed. I grabbed the rock I was previously hiding behind, and I saw Sora floating towards me. I blushed again, since this isn't really how I want someone seeing me—when I swam the day I went to the beach with Hayner, Pence and Olette I wore a one-piece with beach shorts.

"C'mon, you can't stay behind that rock all day," he said as he handed out his hand to me. Well, if I really wanted to I could stay behind this rock all day, but I know the guys would keep bugging me to move. I sighed and moved away from the rock, and I noticed Sora staring at me.

"Sora! I thought we went through this last year!" I scolded him. He wasn't staring at my face, and I placed my hands on my hips. I felt myself falling to the floor again, until Sora grabbed my hand and lifted me up to his level. He started laughing while I pouted my lips—Atlantica you horrible world!

"You look great," he simply said as he gave a smile. His hands were around my waist and the butterflies started going crazy inside me. I smiled at him, and he brought me closer as he hugged me and kissed my forehead. I saw Ariel eyeing me from the corner of my eye as she gave a cheeky grin. She came up and took me as she was going to teach me to swim while she asked Flounder to teach the boys.

As Flounder swam around with Sora, Donald and Goofy, Ariel dragged me along as she showed me how to swim. It wasn't so much the swimming that she wanted to be alone with me, but something else—and I know it had something to do with that grin of hers. "Something definitely seems different with you and Sora," she said as she gave a smirk.

"Come on Ariel, nothing gets past you," I smiled as I started swimming after her. It was getting back to me how to swim, but it still felt a bit odd here and there.

"Did you two fall in love? That intimacy isn't something friends share," she said as she started swimming backwards in front of me. She smiled at me and I nodded as I tried catching up with her.

"We had some ups and downs, and somehow I forgot that I even loved him," I said as I lowered my eyes a bit. It was horrible that I put Sora through that, but the fact that he stayed with me throughout was more than I could ask for. "I thought he would've gone for someone else, but he stayed… and he told me he loved me. I told him I loved him, too."

"I'm so glad you two fell in love!" Ariel said as she clasped her hands together. She looked down towards the seabed and had a lovesick look on her face. Something was up with her. "You know, I also found someone—"

"Hey, we're all done practicing up!" we both heard Sora say. I continued to look at Ariel, who swooned a bit before going back to Sora and the others. If I knew anything, that look she gave was definitely something. Olette did it a lot whenever she read one of her romance novels, and Aerith did it whenever she would even hear about something romantic. Maybe Ariel was in love, too?

I swam back to the rest of them and I heard Sebastian asking if there was something wrong. I looked around and noticed everything was pretty much the same, even Goofy agreed with me. Everything seemed peaceful, and Ariel laughed saying as long as her dad was in a good mood everything was fine. I shuddered at her father's mention, since that man is pretty scary with his magic spear thing.

"Hey, we got us a concert very soon, why don't you sing in my musical extravaganza?" I heard Sebastian say. He swam a little closer to Sora, Donald, Goofy and I, and begged us to say yes, saying Ariel was acting strange lately. He was sure she would settle down if we practiced in the music extravaganza, and Donald was pretty excited for it. Sora agreed, and Sebastian cheered. "Excellent! Now den, I teach you everything you need."

"Wait, what are we going to do?" I asked, suddenly feeling a bit nervous about it all. Sebastian told us it would be easy, and started leading us towards the stage of his concert. Of course, it wasn't going to start yet, but he was showing us where we were going to be. When he mentioned the word 'singing' though, I started to panic. "W-wait, wait, wait! I can't sing!"

"No worries! I'll teach you," Sebastian said. He started heading somewhere else, and I swam up beside him. He stopped and got his band to play a little tune with a stick swinging around and told me to repeat after him. He sang a loud note, and I tried repeating it—but with my voice it came out like a dying cow. I saw Sebastian cringe when he heard me, but quickly tried to cover so I wouldn't see. I frowned but he kept encouraging me to continue. He sang another note, and I followed soon after, but instead of a dying cow, it sounded like a dying goat.

"Maybe I'm not cut out for singing…" I said as I dropped my shoulders. Sebastian cleared his throat and told me not to worry.

"We make you dance!" he said. I raised an eyebrow, and didn't know how well I was at dancing. He got some of the fish to dance around me, and told me to follow his footsteps. I listened and watch, and noticed he spun around. I started moving my hips a bit, but I quickly lost the temp, so I decided to spin around. I ended up bumping into the fishes around me, and they started spinning around and got dizzy. I stopped and brought my hands close to me—I'm definitely not cut out for dancing either. I looked over to Sebastian and noticed he was scratching his head and looked somewhat defeated, but then quickly lit a smile and swam around to get something.

He came back and forth with a couple of instruments; some that didn't really make me feel all that confident, and some that didn't really make sense to me. He handed over a tambourine, and told me to shake it around. I followed his instructions and he got a couple of the fishes to sing along with some of the other players, but I started losing the beat, and my tambourine was out of sync with everything else. I dropped my shoulders and handed him the tambourine back, but he went back to get something else. He came back with an instrument that was similar to the triangle, and that was my cue to just stop—there's no way I'm playing a triangle in this band!

"If it's alright, I'll just watch and cheer you on," I said which Sebastian seemed alright with. He smiled and told me that I could be the cheerleader of the extravaganza and just cheer, and honestly, I was ok with that. I watched as Sora, Donald and Goofy came into the area with Ariel, and Sebastian got to work with them all. Sora danced around with Donald while Ariel did some moved around Goofy. I was happy enough just watching them dance; I know I wouldn't be able to pull any dances moves in such a short time.

Sora and Ariel started singing to the song they were doing, and everyone was mostly practicing. The fishes were playing on their trumpets, drums and saxes, while some of the others danced with Donald and Goofy. Sebastian seemed to be the most into it, but it was expected since it was _his_ concert. I watched as they danced around the bubbles and the moving shells, and Sora used his magic to light up a couple of lights around the stage. I cheered and bobbed my head to their singing, which was probably the most I could do musically. I swam up to them after they were done, and Ariel complimented Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"Yeah, you guys sound awesome," I said as I smiled at them.

"Hey! I wanna sing more lines!" Donald complained as he swam a bit closer. Ariel started laughing, but it quickly went away as she looked behind Donald. She swam out of the way, and when I looked at Donald's direction, in came swimming King Triton. I shuddered a bit when he came closer, but I kept my composure as he kept getting closer. Sebastian greeted the king, and told him that we were visiting.

"I certainly hope there hasn't been a need to use that Keyblade of yours," he said. Goofy came swimming up in front of me and I looked around to see Ariel had gone a bit far from us. I frowned knowing that something was probably up with her and the king, but what that was remained unanswered. I heard Sebastian mentioning us being in the concert, and King Triton thought it was a pretty good idea. I was still looking at Ariel, but the King told us that she was still infatuated with the human world and wanted to keep her busy with rehearsals to make her forget about it.

I wasn't really sure about it, I mean; Ariel has such a curious mind about the world above. To make her stop thinking about it is like making Sora forget about using the Keyblade—it wasn't going to happen.

**-x-**

Everyone kept rehearsing their parts for the musical, but Ariel didn't really seem interested in it. Sebastian tried encouraging her, but she politely refused—she just wasn't feeling it. She swam away from the rest of us, and I swam up to Sora, Donald and Goofy and wondered what we were going to do.

"I'll go follow her, maybe I can find out what _exactly_ is bothering her," I said as I started swimming away. I heard Sora call out to me, but I kept swimming as I wanted to see what kept Ariel so distracted. I know it was the world above, but there had to be something else as well. I kept swimming until I saw green fins, and I smiled as I started seeing that flaming red hair of Ariel's. "What's been keeping you so down, Ariel?" I asked, hoping to get her to open up.

"Oh, Marie…," she started as she looked towards me. She had a frown on her face and she tried hard to cover it up, but it wasn't really working. She continued to look at me until she sighed. "Would you still love Sora even if you two were… different?"

"Different how?" I asked.

"What if you two couldn't walk on the same land? Or you had something that stopped you from seeing him?" she asked. I brought a finger to my chin and wondered about it—I would still love Sora no matter what. I think obstacles were meant to be placed so that each person could prove how much they loved each other. I explained this to Ariel, and she had a faint smile on her face, and a light glimmered from her blue eyes. I heard fins flipping through the water and I turned around to see Sora, Donald and Goofy swimming over to us.

"We'd like you to come with us, Ariel," Goofy said as he looked at both of us. I raised my eyebrow to this and wondered what was going on, but Sora only winked at me. He told her that they had something to show her, and we all swam towards her grotto. I really wondered along the way what they had to show her, but when we entered the grotto we saw a giant statue of a dashing prince in the middle. He seemed so majestic with his pose, and Ariel was ecstatic to see it. She swam around in her grotto, and started explaining some of the stuff she collected over the years; I swam around and looked at the forks, chandeliers and jewelry boxes she collected—she was definitely in love with the world above…

**-x-**

Aura sighed for the umpteenth time now as she stared out into the town that belonged to Twilight Town. Axel had left to do some of his own things, so she decided to take a short break and go back to the place she loved the most. She felt it in her every being that the end was nearing, and she was starting to worry. Where would she go? Would she actually have to go back to Marie? What happens to Axel? What happens to her? So many questions and she didn't have a single answer for any of them. She perked her head a bit as she saw those three teenagers running around the town, and every time she saw them she was reminded of how Roxas and Marie hanged out with them. Why couldn't she have just been born like a normal human being instead of some Heartless Nobody? She growled a bit at it, but it wasn't doing much to help.

She reached into her pocket and felt a sleek feeling ball in it. She took it out and noticed it was the flower that Riku had given her. She closed her eyes and tried remembering why he gave it to her, and it all came back quickly. There was a flower that Marie wanted Sora to have, and along with saving that flower Riku gave her a flower that the king used as an example.

_Aura looked at the flower that Riku had in his palm, and she found it beautiful. Although she was still emotionless and expressionless about almost everything, nature and the beauty of life still amazed her. The flower she stared at was a yellow follower named Celandine, which were pretty common around Twilight Town. Riku told her that the king's master created the flower he was holding as an example, but the king gave it to him since he didn't have any use for it. Riku turned to face Aura, and he extended his hand towards her, making the flower face her._

_"Here, take it," he said, giving the flower to her. She took it from him, and stared it at blankly._

_"And what am I gonna do with a flower?" she asked, staring between the flower and Riku._

_"Keep it with you," he said, walking away towards the exit. "You used to be bubbly and happy like that flower, but you both changed. This flower came back to being bubbly and happy, it just changed in appearance... you can do the same, too."_

"I used to be bubbly…," she repeated. She used to be a lot of things, but now all she could really see was herself disappearing and never truly being 'Aura'. The flower shined a bit, and she lowered her eyes as she stared at it. The time was nearing and she had to choose what her future would be… life definitely gave her an awful hand.

**-x-**

"Ariel, we're here to help you, you know," Sora said as Ariel stopped showing her stuff around the grotto. Sebastian came in and told us all not to butt in, but we couldn't ignore it. We returned to the rehearsal spot and watched Ariel in such a daze, and it wasn't helping the concert at all. Donald suggested singing her part but none of us really wanted to hear the poor duck sing, no offence Donald.

Sebastian came swimming in after, and he was concerned about his musical being too complicated for Sora, Donald and Goofy. They took a peek at the score and were a bit stunned at it. I came in after to look, and the whole thing gave me such a huge headache! There were scribbled little dots all over, and I couldn't understand a thing from that. I definitely knew now that I was not meant for the music industry. Sora just laughed, and told Sebastian that they would be fine. They got on the stage as I stood in front of them, and Sebastian started the song by hitting some of the clams. Sora started by singing the first few lines and his voice sounded pretty amazing! I swear there's nothing Sora can't do.

Sebastian came in singing as well, and he sang about how the ocean life was better than the life above. Ariel didn't seem too fazed by it, but after a few beats from some of the instruments she started swinging her hips a bit. Soon enough she started singing with Sora and Sebastian, while Goofy and Donald danced around. I was laughing and clapping my hands with the song, and they all looked like they were having a grand old time. After the song, Sebastian asked Ariel how she felt about the song, and naturally, she loved it. However, it wasn't what _she_ wanted to sing—she wanted to sing about harmony between land and sea, but Sebastian knew the king wouldn't tolerate it.

"If you won't listen then I'm not gonna sing at all," she spat back. She swam away, and we all followed her behind. She started swimming up above to the shore, and when we all popped our heads above the water, we saw a man walking around the beach.

"Whoa, Ariel, is that the guy?" I asked, not keeping my eyes off the man. She nodded her head and gave a simple 'mhm' as she stared at him. Donald suggested saying something to him, but Ariel was adamant—she was scared to face him in her current form. The man turned around and dropped something along the way, and Ariel quickly swam up front to see what it was. The thing he dropped started getting pulled by the waves, and it floated all the way towards some of the rocks standing by. We all swam towards it and Ariel reached in to grab it. We all stared at it, and it turned out to be a pendant of his.

**-x-**

We returned to Ariel's grotto after finding that pendant, and she admired it a bit more. "This is great, you guys. I know he'll be happy to have this back."

"And just who is this 'he'?" My spine gave a shiver when I heard that voice—it belonged to King Triton. We all turned around and Ariel quickly hid the pendant when she called out her father. His face seemed so red with anger and I gulped knowing where this would be heading. "Ariel, you know how dangerous humans are!"

She protested saying he didn't know the man, and she was sure that they all weren't as bad as he made them out to be, to which she was going to prove, but the king wasn't having it. "So help me Ariel, I am going to get through to you. And if this is the only way…"

He raised his spear and it started lighting up. My eyes widened since I knew where this guy was going with it. He pointed his spear towards the statue of the man, and we all gasped as it beamed out a light. It went straight towards the statue and half of it broke off, with some pieces almost hitting Donald. Ariel gasped the most and seemed almost in tears, but she quickly left the grotto. I swam out as fast as I could, not just to get away from the king, but to check up on Ariel. Sora, Donald and Goofy followed behind, but Ariel swam so fast that we lost her for a bit along with Flounder and Sebastian. Thankfully, we knew where she would be, and we swam towards that little space.

When we got there, we saw Ariel standing in front of Ursula, and I was surprised at seeing that old hag around. Sebastian told us to stop her, but before we could do anything the sea witch put a barrier around them. A light appeared around Ariel's throat and she started singing. The light traveled all the up through her throat and out of her mouth, it then traveled to Ursula's necklace, which was a golden shell. The witch immediately disappeared, but we saw Ariel transform into a human covered in an off-white cloth. We gasped when she couldn't breathe and Sora and I swam her up to the shore.

**-x-**

We swam Ariel all the way towards the shore, and she fainted once she got there, so we watched from afar as the man came up from the giant castle behind him. It was obvious he was a prince, but he didn't dress very princely. Anyways, he walked towards her and bent down near her. She woke up and immediately got up, but with her never having legs before, wobbled a bit around the prince. He started laughing and asked her what her name was, but since she gave up her voice, she couldn't answer. Still, he was sweet enough to bring her in, and I sighed out of relief.

"So, what do we do now?" Sora asked. Sebastian sighed and told us all we could do was help from afar, which was pretty hard since all we could do was swim around. I wished I could be a human to help her out, but what Ariel did was extremely dangerous trusting a sea witch like Ursula.

"Maybe we should look for Ursula?" I asked, suggesting an idea around. Sora and the others agreed, since she was the one who put the spell on her, and we were all prepared to fight the witch. I looked over to Sebastian and Flounder. "Keep an eye on Ariel, and make sure nothing bad happens. Also, please remind her that the fork isn't supposed to be used as a _hairbrush_."

I remember Ariel showing us a fork and using it as a brush, and Sora and I had to explain to her that it was for eating, not for your hair. Luckily, she did have a hairbrush around, and I taught her how to use it. Well, anyways, we all swam back down to see if we could find Ursula. I really hoped we could solve all of this, or if not, that Ariel would be able to kiss the prince in time.

* * *

><p>Sorry for the extremely late reply, but I'm finally out of school for the holiday break! I plan to write as much as possible before I go back on January 7. We're also <em>almost<em> done the story! I can't wait to finish it off so we can start on KH:3D! I'm so excited!

**GrapeJuice101:  
><strong>Haha, I didn't really write much of the moments, but here is another chapter, I'll definitely have more out later on.

**CatLoverx33:  
><strong>I'm glad you liked it! There will be lots more before we wrap this story up!

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>Yes, _over-due _fluffs haha. Yes! I can't wait to write on the whole Isa/Saix episode, I have it all in my head on how she'll react with him. It's going to be a show. And yes, Aqua and Terra were just meant for each other! Aww Jack Frost 3

**JoojKA:  
><strong>No, no it's okay! Sorry for the late update! I know this is really late, but I'm glad you got better! Haha, no it's not weird. It would be weird if they kissed like humans since they're technically lions in the pride lands. Aww, thanks for the compliments, and honestly I love you more for even reading this story! 33333

**Warrior of six blades:  
><strong>I'm sorry for the late update, lol. It's totally okay though, I don't expect people to sit and read my story for hours. I'm grateful that you're taking the time to read it though, so thank you very much. Yes, Marie never gave a crap about the tournaments, and it will probably carry over on to the next story for Aura to really forgive Roxas, but they'll end up being a plot hole for a while because they really just need to sit down and talk their problems through. DiZ is a piece of crap to her, but eventually she'll get over it. As for the rest, you'll have to keep reading, haha. There are a lot of chapters, but once I'm done the story, I'll clean it up a bit.

**Trubeque:  
><strong>Haha, glad you caught up! I have a lot more chapters to write though, but it shouldn't be too hard to catch up now, since I only have a month to really finish this story off!

**Guest:  
><strong>Yea, I'm sorry about that, it's supposed to be a running gag DX. I might change it up for the next game if they end up being older than 15/16. :D


	55. Ursula the nasty witch

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-383502787

**Marie in her mermaid form:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/LOL-Mermaid-Marie-204002672

**A/N:  
><strong>FINALLY DONE ATLANTICA! GOD IM SO HAPPY IM CRYING HAHA.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-Five<br>****ଓ  
><strong>**Ursula the nasty witch**

It had been about three days already trying to look for Ursula, and Ariel still hadn't kissed the prince. Time was running out and I was getting worried for the woman. She made a lot of effort with the guy from what I heard from Flounder and Sebastian, but still no kiss. They came close one time but the boat tipped a bit and I got totally angry, I mean give the girl a break!

We swam back up to the shore and I noticed Ariel was slouched over and her shoulders were jerking uncontrollably. I gasped a bit since I knew she was crying, and I swam around towards her. Flounder explained that she had been crying for a long time, and then suddenly we heard Ariel's voice singing. My eyebrow rose when I heard it, and I looked around to see who was singing. We spotted the prince walking around towards our direction with an unfamiliar women clinging to his arm, and Sora wondered about the prince, since his face was totally blank. Flounder pointed at the woman's necklace, which was the same golden shell that Ursula had on.

"Do you think Ursula changed into a human?" I asked. Flounder flipped around and was sure she did to keep Ariel for herself, which angered Sora. He took out his Keyblade and used his magic to break the shell, and when it did a light appeared and surrounded itself around Ariel. She gasped, and the prince's blank expression disappeared.

"Eric!" Ariel called out to the prince, and he came running towards her.

"You…you can talk…" he said. I smiled at their conversation and was glad to know Ariel would finally be getting her wish. "You're the one… the girl who sang to me."

Ariel was so happy about it and Eric was glad to know that Ariel was the one who saved him from a storm. He apologized about not figuring out sooner, but they were finally together now without any interferences. They were so close to kissing, and I brought my hands together as I held my breath in, but then we heard the sea witch.

"Not so fast!" she shouted. They both turned towards her, and she glared at them both. "Do you see what I see?"

"A haggy old sea witch…," I muttered to myself. She pointed to the sunset, and we all looked towards it. Oh no! Time was up! We all looked towards Ariel, who was being grabbed by Ursula. Eric called out to her, and we all swam under the sea.

**-x-**

"Stop!" Sora shouted after Ursula. She stopped in her tracks and turned around, telling us that Ariel signed a contract. She threatened Ariel a bit, and I growled—this woman is terrible!

"Let Ariel go!" we heard a loud and majestic voice say. Before we could turn around, a beam of light went past us and straight towards the contract that Ursula was holding. She was pushed way back towards a rock behind her, but she wasn't hurt.

"Now, now—even the great King Triton can't go around breaking binding contracts. Why, it just wouldn't do, would it?" she gave a huge, snarky smile, and turned her attention to all of us. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some loose ends to tie up."

She looked back to Ariel, who was being tied up by those two creepy eels, but King Triton stopped her again. He lowered his head, and had a defeated look on his face—something I never saw much before. "You win. Just promise you'll let my daughter go," he said.

She reminded of the deal she had with Ariel, but King Triton offered to go in her place. He pointed his spear at the contract, and his signature replaced Ariel's. We all gasped but Sebastian was the most shocked. Ursula started cackling uncontrollably, and the King started to transform into a small plant-like thing. Ursula grabbed the spear from him, and when Ariel spat some words at her, a spear came from above. We all looked and watched as Eric swam down towards us, but he quickly went up once the eels started chasing after him. Sora, Donald and Goofy all stopped them, and I watched as Ursula started getting bigger.

I saw Ariel swimming up towards Eric, and Ursula kept getting bigger—it was basically a repeat of last year. A huge tornado appeared underwater around Ursula, and I watched as Sora, Donald and Goofy got to work getting rid of those two eels. I swam towards Ariel, who was busy blocking attacks from Ursula. I brought my Keyblade and used some of my spells on her, but she had such tolerance. We both swam down to block some of her attacks, and Eric used one of his spears at her. Sora, Donald and Goofy came swimming in, and we all prepared fighting off the sea witch.

"Flotsam and Jetsam! Right now, mommy needs you!" she shouted. I looked around, and Sora rose towards the air as he looked at Ursula.

"Sorry, "Mommy"…your poopsies are toast!" he shouted back. Ursula grew even angrier, and brought the spear around to attack us, but we all ducked into the water in time to block it. Sora jumped from the water and used his Keyblade to attack her wrist, to which she dropped the spear. It landed on the boat Eric was on, and she gasped.

"No…it's not possible!" she shouted. Sora swam back down towards us, and she yelled at Eric. "That belongs to me!"

"All right, then—you can have it!" Eric shouted. He lifted the spear and threw straight through Ursula, who shouted in pain. She started shrinking, and eventually disappeared with the bubbles under the sea. I sighed in relief, and although I barely did any fighting, I was a bit tuckered out.

**-x-**

"Please Ariel… you can come out now—it's okay," Eric said as he looked down from his boat to Ariel. She sighed and looked down a bit, and quickly went under sea. Eric gasped a bit, but she jumped out of the sea and did a back flip to show the prince that she was a mermaid. She returned to the shore, and told him the reason she went to Ursula was to be human like him, and he placed a finger on his chin. She sighed once again, and started to leave when she said goodbye, but the prince stopped when he started talking. "To think… I had all that time and I didn't work on my swimming."

He jumped into the water and swam towards Ariel, hoping to learn how to swim from her. She smiled and was glad to help, and then two of them got closer for a hug. We all cheered and eventually returned back below the sea. Eric was a really nice prince and Sora commented on his bravery, but Sebastian reminded us that he is a human. Ariel came in after a while, and she told us how she talked with her father. She was quick to leave though, but thanked us for all the help we gave. Flounder also mentioned that Sebastian needed to put on the best musical ever, since this one was so important. Sebastian swam towards the three guys, and asked for a favor that involved magic, but they all turned to me. I raised one of my eyebrows in confusion, and Sebastian told me I was finally going to be able to do something in the musical. My eyes brightened and I smiled at the thought of being able to help.

**-x-**

The crowd was huge and everyone was talking amongst themselves, and I was a bit nervous about this all. Sora swam over to me and placed a hand on my back, telling me that I was going to do a spectacular job. I smiled at him, but he brought his hands around my waist and brought me closer towards him. He came in and grabbed a kiss from me, and I giggled as he did. "A kiss for good luck," he smiled.

He was about to let go, but I wrapped my arms around his neck as I gave him a kiss in return. I noticed a tint of pink on his cheeks, but I just giggled a bit more. "A kiss for good luck," I repeated. He smiled and gave me a tighter hug, and we both parted once the concert was about to begin.

Sebastian stood at the front with his conducting stick and the music in front of him. He hit it against the music stand and cleared his throat, and we all gave him the nod to start. Once it started, Ariel's sisters started singing and showing their faces to the crowd. They swam around singing about how Ariel fell in love, and the girl in question showed up from one of the clams. She sang about it being true and started to introduce us. "Take a bow: Donald, Goofy, Marie and Sora!" she sang.

We swam in and although the boys had their singing parts I just swam and did some tricks with my fins, something that I could at least handle! She introduced her father, Sebastian and Flounder on to the stage and in came Triton riding on dolphins. He used his spear to light up the chandelier at the center of the stage, and we all swam around doing tricks and dancing. I wasn't much of the dancing scene, so I used my magic to light up the stage or do fancy tricks. Donald and one of Ariel's sister started swimming to one of the three clams in the middle, while Goofy and the other sister swam to the other. Ariel, Sora and I all swam towards the center clam, and they all started singing to the song while I spun around with my magic. It was weird how well my magic was acting underwater, but I wasn't complaining.

Then, when the ending was approaching, Ariel and Sora nodded at me, and I brought my Keyblade up and pointed it towards the ceiling. As soon as I was about to cast my thundaga spell, I felt my forehead burn, and I was getting a bit confused. It started burning even more, and when the spell released it wasn't the normal thundaga spell. Out came five lightning bolts that eventually turned into fireworks in a way, they didn't harm anyone, but it was strange. I didn't have time to check it out since we were still preforming, but everyone roared and cheered, and with the fireworks still going off a bit we all bowed down.

Once everyone left, a bubble appeared with the keyhole, and Sora did his usual with it. Once unlocked, Ariel looked at us all and asked what was happening. We explained that he had to leave, since a new path had opened, and Sebastian was pretty sad to see us go. Sora, Donald and Goofy all got up and started singing that we're all connected, and that we'd return to our friends. I smiled as they sang, and the words couldn't be any truer—the people I've met so far have been wonderful, and now that we've come so far, I can't just stop. I will come back and say hello every now and then!

**-x-**

We returned to the ship but I felt a pang of emotions running through me. I didn't know why, but I really wanted to visit Hollow Bastion, so I asked the guys if we could. We turned to ship towards it, and here we were. Those emotions must have told me something though, since we saw a couple of Heartless running around. Sora thought that everything was running smoothly, but clearly something was up.

"Must be Organization XIII again. We better go see Leon," he suggested. I nodded, and we started heading down the road towards Merlin's house. I kept my eyes open for anything unusual, and once we actually reached Merlin's house the defense system started acting up. It nearly attacked Donald but before we did anything else a couple of techy Heartless appeared. I quickly brought out my Keyblade and started attacking some of the Heartless, while Sora dealt with the other half. They weren't so tough to beat but I was a bit worried about the new Heartless wondering around, but what I hadn't noticed while I was fighting was my initiative. Maybe it was the fact that I was feeling more confident, or maybe my affection for my second home, but I was pretty happy right now. Well, not about the Heartless, but you know what I mean.

Once the Heartless were dealt with, the door to Merlin's house opened up, and Yuffie appeared on the other side. She told us to come inside, but the boys were a bit worried about the Heartless, saying that they came from Tron's world. I tilted my head in confusion at this Tron person, but I remember Sora talking about the time they were trapped in that computer. Anyways, all walked inside, and I saw Cid hacking away at the computer.

"Hurry up, Cid!" Yuffie shouted, which got a not so pleasant response from Cid. Merlin was in the room and even told him to hurry, which annoyed Cid even more… Sora asked what was going on, and the man stopped hacking on the computer and turned towards us.

"Talk about yer good timin'!" he exclaimed happily. Yuffie explained how the…MCP…was wreaking havoc inside the computer, and the boys seemed to understand it all. Cid explained how Ryan and Leon went over to Ansem's study to find out what was going on, and found out that the MCP was using data to bring the Heartless in Tron's world to life. Sora asked how Tron was doing, but they figured he was forced onto the game grid. I tried my best to keep up, but I couldn't really without seeing the problem myself, and this Tron guy.

"Unfortunately, you can't do much until we finish the MCP eradication program," Merlin said, which brought Sora's shoulders down. We couldn't enter Tron's world either, since the MCP was blocking the entrance to it through his computing. I sighed and looked around, until I saw Pooh Bear's book. I placed a finger on my chin as I walked over towards it and noticed that a lot of the pages were still missing. My eyes perked up when I realized that we had a lot of the pages, if not all of them.

I turned over to Sora and the others. "Hey, we can see how Pooh is doing while the MCP eradication program is finishing up," I suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea!" I heard Goofy speak. "Donald and I can stay out here and let you guys know when we can enter Tron's world."

Sora nodded and walked over to the book. He picked it up and gave it to Donald to hold while looking at me, and I nodded as we both got transported into the book. I blinked and wobbled a bit being inside the book, but overall I was still feeling fine. I remember being here the last time when all of the pages were ripped out and Pooh couldn't remember our names. I was so saddened by it, but now we can at least help out the little guy! We saw another page light up, so we decided to check it out. We went by and entered a trail full of leaves around, and it got incredibly windy.

"Ow!" I heard Sora shout, I looked towards him and saw an acorn hit him in the back caused by the wind, and I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. He scratched the back of his head and looked at me. "Wonder of Pooh's here…"

Before he could finish his sentence, the wind got incredibly strong and I almost fell over from the pressure of the wind. Luckily Sora grabbed me, and I was holding onto him for support. I took a deep breath, but then we both saw Piglet flying away. "Oh, help, help! Somebody save me!" we heard him shout.

We called out his name and he grabbed hold of a branch from one of the bigger trees. He looked towards us and asked for help, and we both ran towards the giant tree. It ended up being his house, and Sora helped the poor guy down. Piglet thanked him, and we both bent down to get a closer look at him. "Oh, here comes Pooh Bear!" Piglet said as he turned.

"Pooh!" I shouted, extremely happy to see the cute bear wobbling his way towards us. Sora chuckled, but I was just so happy to see him! "You're all right!"

Pooh giggled, and told us he was just fine. He looked towards piglet and then both of us, and started wishing us a happy windsday. I tilted my head in confusion, but Piglet seemed so put down by his comment since Pooh said it was nice to meet all of us. "Nice to m-meet you? But, Pooh. It's me, Piglet!" the little guy said, adding if Pooh remembered him.

Piglet started walking away since he seemed way too sad, but the wind carried him away as he said his goodbyes. I jumped a bit at him flying away, and Owl came out and asked if we could help Piglet down from the wind. We looked around, but owl gave us a couple of balloons to float in the air. Okay, I'm not that light—I kind of ate _too much _sea-salt ice cream_—_so I don't know how I was going to float for a long time. Still, Sora seemed to want to go, and I sighed as I grabbed a couple of balloons. "I'll fight off the branches and acorns while you and Pooh look for Piglet," Sora suggested.

Pooh jumped on my back as I grabbed the balloons, and we were flown right off the floor. I nearly screamed, but Sora came in front with his Keyblade and started clearing the path for us. I was feeling a bit nervous since we were so high up in the sky, but I kept my cool as we tried to look for Piglet. A big tree trunk started flying towards us, but Sora was able to get rid of it for us, and we spotted Piglet not long after. I extended my arm out so Pooh could walk on it, and when he was close to Piglet he grabbed hold of his hand. I brought them back towards me and I held them in my arms as I started putting weight on the balloons. A huge gust of wind blew towards us, and it pulled Piglet away from me and towards the branch of his tree. The balloons popped when we reached the ground, and I let Pooh down on the floor. We all walked up towards the tree and encouraged Piglet to jump, but the guy was too scared.

"It'll be okay, Piglet! Just jump!" Sora encouraged. "We'll catch you!"

Piglet gave a deep breath and paused for a moment. He eventually dropped down, and although he totally missed us, he landed right by Pooh, who managed to catch him. "Oh, that was rather frightening. I do hope you're all right, Piglet," Pooh said, who remembered his name. Piglet was ecstatic about it, and Pooh was glad that his friend was all right. Piglet was just glad Pooh was there, and I smiled along with Sora.

"We're glad for you two," I said as Sora agreed. Pooh looked at us as he smiled, and thanked us for saving Piglet… even though he didn't know who we were.

"Oh… uh, sure. Don't mention it," Sora replied as he looked my way. I frowned at the fact that Pooh didn't remember us, but at least he was able to remember Piglet, his best friend.

**-x-**

We walked out of Piglet's house and started making our way towards a field of carrots. Piglet started walking with us, and when we got further in we saw Pooh flying in with one of those balloons we still had. We saw Eeyore fixing up his house, and when we noticed Pooh was landing near it we ran towards them. Unfortunately, Pooh managed to land on top of Eeyore's house, but Sora still asked if they were okay. He felt bad about his house, but Eeyore seemed pretty fine with it. "No matter. Most likely would have fallen down anyway," he said.

Well… at least _looked_ like it was all fine. Piglet offered to help his house, but Eeyore didn't want to spoil his day. Pooh got up from sitting down, and said hello to Piglet, but didn't remember who Eeyore was. I sighed, I felt really bad for Pooh, since he couldn't remember anyone. Still, Sora and I weren't going to leave poor old Pooh Bear like this; we had to get him to remember his dearest friends!

**-x-**

**Aura**

She walked around Hallow Bastion for a bit, knowing full well that the gang was here, but she felt what Marie felt about the place, and decided to check it out. She sighed when she walked by where Demyx had been defeated, and still felt so bad about him. She really didn't want to see him go, but he knew full well that being with Organization XIII practically meant giving up your life. She walked past that part and looked up at the castle and wondered if Leon and his gang were in there, of course, she probably knew the answer to that. She continued to walk towards it but stopped halfway when she saw a hooded figure in the corner of her eye. She turned slightly to face the hooded person and she couldn't figure out who it was, but when he grunted she remembered the voice and knew it was Riku.

"Long time no see," she said as she crossed her arms. She wasn't really in the mood to speak to Riku, but he must have had something for her to be finding her like this. She was fully facing the teen, and she took a deep breath as he walked a bit forward. "What exactly brings you here, huh?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," he replied. She eyed the teen suspiciously and wondered if he had anything up his sleeve, but Riku made no attempt to do anything. He lowered his shoulders a bit, and Aura figured he had something more to say. "I also came by to give you something to give to Marie. DiZ asked me to find you, since you two are pretty close by now."

"Why can't you give it to her?" she asked, knowing full well that he couldn't see her in his current form. She sighed and walked up to Riku as he pulled a piece of paper from his coat. She grabbed it and looked at the sheet, and questioned what it was about.

"That's a password for the computer in the castle, he says Marie will find it useful," he explained. "He says Marie will be able to know most of her past from that password, but she'll definitely be overwhelmed. There are things that she really needs to know now, since he feels time is almost up."

"Time waits for no one…," she repeated—one of her many words of wisdom that she followed. Riku only nodded and she looked down at the password; what an easy one. She closed her eyes for a bit before looking back at Riku. "I suppose I should thank you. You made quite the effort to see me after all."

"Aura—"he said before stopping himself. Aura looked at him oddly, but he shook his head and continued on. "I'm sorry… for what I said—"

"You shouldn't be apologizing… you're absolutely right. I am an inconsiderate Nobody, but I'll disappear soon," she told him. He tried stopping her, not liking where she was going with her words, but she continued regardless. "I cannot exist… everyone was right; I shouldn't exist. When the time comes, we'll be fighting side by side I hope… so I'm not going to say goodbye right now, I'll save that for later. When I disappear, Riku… forget me. Forget everything about me… I don't want to be the person that just disappeared. I would rather no one remember me from the start than be the person that they knew… as if I was somebody."

"Aura, stop… you're not making sense—"

"I lost Roxas," she replied. He sensed the emotion from those words, and he was certain she would be choking up the tears she wouldn't let fall. "I don't want to lose Axel, and I know I wouldn't want to lose you, _even though I can't stand you sometimes_," she muttered under her breath even though Riku still heard. "Let the person who was never meant to exist disappear."

Before he could say anything in return, she disappeared through her portal. He grunted as he tried running up to it but it closed as soon as he got there, and he was in shock at the words Aura was saying. They were completely negative and out of her character, but what if fate had already chosen her path and she was just going along with it? Had Aura given up trying to be a person she could be proud of? Riku sighed and stretched his neck; he couldn't let Aura give up now, not when they were so close to the end.

**-x-**

We breezed through the woods trying to help Pooh remember his friends, and I was feeling so happy for everyone. Pooh couldn't remember either of us, but I was definitely glad that he could remember everyone else—like Tigger, Rabbit, Owl and the rest of them. We had to help out Pooh with a bunch of stuff to make him remember all of his friends, but the best one was jumping off of balloons. I don't know why—it made me feel like such a child. We also had to look for Pooh through a cave, which majority of them felt scared too, but Sora and I encouraged them to search. It was so cute seeing them all be brave though and I was so incredibly proud of them—especially Piglet!

One thing that made Sora and I keep hope with Pooh trying to remember us, was how he went searching through that cave for a couple of special friends. Maybe Pooh would remember us soon enough—he did our names down, which was good enough for now.

Sora and I were at the bridge at night when we saw Pooh Bear's head trapped inside one of those honey pots. I giggled at how cute he looked, and we both walked over to the little guy. "Pooh, are you all right?" I asked.

"Sora, Marie? Is that you? Oh please help!" he called out. It wasn't that hard to help Pooh out of the honey pot, Sora grabbed the pot while I pulled Pooh out of it. When he was all good, we all sat down on a nearby tree trunk lying sideways. Sora asked what he was doing here, and the little bear pondered for a bit. "I was thinking: perhaps there's a way to make it so you two won't go away."

"You mean a way to make us stay?" Sora asked. Pooh nodded, and asked if there was such a way. I lowered my head at the idea, it would be great to stay with Pooh and all of his friends, but unfortunately things couldn't be like that. Still, Sora assured him that we'd all visit him and his friends every now and then, but Pooh wanted us to stay forever.

"Pooh, we'll always be in your heart," I said as both Sora and I pointed and poked a bit at his heart. Sora told him that he could stay where he was, and we'd visit him anytime he wanted us to. Pooh asked us to promise him, and we did—with everyone else coming in and promising as well. I giggled when they all started drawing near, and we all pretty much huddled up as we watched the night sky. It was only after a while that Sora nudged my arm to indicate that we had to leave.

"Leaving already?" Pooh asked. Sora turned and I told him that we had to. Pooh just smiled. "Well, I won't be sad, because you'll always be right here forever and ever. Right, Sora and Marie?"

Sora and I looked at everyone, and he told them that they'd all be right in our hearts. We said out goodbyes and jumped down the little step, with Sora turning around to give one more wave. I smiled as I waved, and we both started walking out of the woods with our hands holding each other. We eventually started disappearing from the book and into Merlin's house, and the title of the book changed to all of us looking out into the night sky. I gave a warm smile at the book—there are some things in this world that are so beautiful that we just gotta protect it no matter what. This book was one of them.

* * *

><p>100 acre woods is done now! It was a shitty job, but there's not much one can do in that world. It's just filler, really. Now we get to the more serious part of the game, and I've got some surprises wrapped around my head, so watch out!<p>

**JoojKA:  
><strong>Haha, I missed you too! My break is only for a while since I go back to school on jan 7, so I'm making the most of it. Do I have you on deviantART? If not, we should totally add each other! I did check up on it cause it's more easier writing an update there than on here. But you should've sent me a message or something Id've gladly replied :D

Haha, oh really? I love Aura too! She's my greatest character I think, mainly because she can be relatable more than Marie. Oh and yes, I couldn't have had Marie do everything well, she's terrible in the arts, but she's pretty great with logical stuff like math and computers. I'm glad you reviewed, it's so good to hear from you~!

**CatLoverx33:  
><strong>Haha, yes they are pretty good friends. :D

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Yeah I'm glad to be back, it feels great! I plan to have a lot of moments in the upcoming chapters, and I will update till I am done this story!

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>Haha yea she's growing! And definitely, boys will always have that pervey side, but I guess that's why we love them. (Among other reasons) aww, that sounds like such fun—no one does that where I'm from unless it's at Anime North or something. School life is awesome! I love cooking and home life is eh, could be better. Omg really? I was totally thinking the same thing with Jack and Elisa! They look like such a cute couple!


	56. Tron's Legacy

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-383502787

**A/N:  
><strong>Now that we are done with both Atlantica and 100 Acre Woods, we can focus on Tron and the upcoming events, which are leading up to the ending of this story. I hope you are all well prepared for the events to come, because I hope to go out with a bang. :D

Also, if I haven't made it obvious, Marie is the logical type. She is great with computers and critical thinking, and she can even think strategically if she was interested in fighting. Her strongest points are math, science and computers, but she fails in everything else that concerns an art like drawing, singing, playing an instrument and sports.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-Six<strong>

**ଓ**

**Tron's Legacy**

We were outside of Merlin's house heading towards the castle, and just when we were at the restoration site, I felt a presence. Sora, Donald and Goofy stopped when I did, and they asked me if I was alright. I looked around just to be sure, and I nodded my head when I didn't see anyone. Of course, I spoke too soon, since someone jumped right in front of us. We took a closer look, and I gasped when I saw Aura standing straight with her hood on.

"It's good to see you guys are doing well," she said.

"Aura! What are you doing here?" Sora demanded. He shook his head, and changed the topic to something else. "We have so many questions for you and you need to answer us right now!"

"There will be a time for all of your questions, but right now I'm here to deliver something to Marie," she replied. She stuck out her hand with a piece of paper in it. I walked up to her and picked it up but the boys seemed a bit suspicious. I looked down at the paper and a word was scribbled on it. I looked up at her, and she started speaking. "That's the password to a file Ansem created for you, Marie. It contains everything on your past… and a couple of information that you'll want to know."

"My past…? Information I need to know? How'd you get this?" I asked, looking down at the paper. She shifted a bit in her position and told us that it didn't matter, but that the source was pretty legit. There was no reason _not_ to trust her, since all the vibes I've gotten from her have been positive. If Aura truly wanted me gone, she could've done so easily at the beginning.

"Listen, we're close to getting rid of Organization XIII—I can feel it, so keep your heads high," she said. She gave a slight smile that only I could notice, but it didn't look bad at all. Whatever happened to Aura made her quite different. "I have to do a couple of things, but we'll meet up soon, and I can answer any questions you have. That goes for you as well Sora, Donald and Goofy."

"I'm holding you to your word," Sora replied. She nodded as she created her portal, and we watched as she started walking towards it. She stopped right before it and turned around, giving all of us a look of desperation—just what happened to Aura?

"I have faith in all of you, even if you can't see it on my face," she said. We all just stood there as she looked towards the ground. "The Organization—they took a lot from me… they took a lot from everyone. When we fight them… give it all you've got. I know I will."

She walked through her portal after that, and I tried chasing after her. I placed a hand over my chest as the portal closed in, and I felt like I could feel her pain—it was horrible. Just what did Aura go through? I felt so bad…

"Gawrsh, she seemed so sad…," Goofy said. Donald agreed and Sora walked up towards me, he looked down at the paper in my hand and then at me.

"Aura always watched out for you, even now… we can't let her down." Sora looked up at the castle as I stared at him. He was right, we can't let her down. We've gotta make sure we're all right and prepared for when we fight Organization XIII's leader.

**-x-**

We made it towards the computer in Ansem's secret study, but we were met with Leon pointing his sword at us. Aerith and Ryan were right near him with their guards up. Goofy calmed him down though, and told them that it was only us. They asked about the eradicator, and Sora told them that it was almost done. Aerith told Leon that she and Ryan had everything under control with the computer, and that he was free to go check up on Cid.

"How's Tron doing?" Sora asked. Leon told us that they couldn't get in touch with him, and asked Sora, Donald and Goofy to give it a shot. Sora agreed, saying they would talk to him in person, and Leon nodded as he asked for a favor.

"When you find Tron, could you tell him to come to the I/O tower?" he asked. "That's where we'll upload the MCP Eradication program."

"Oh, Leon. I have a password to some of the files on Ansem's computer, do you think I'll be able to access it?" I asked. I handed him the password and when he read it his eyes widened a bit. He shook his head and handed the paper back to me as he nodded.

"You can try, but I don't know how much freedom you'll have with the MCP acting up." I nodded, and he quickly left to go check on Cid. Sora, Donald and Goofy walked over to the computer where Ryan was typing in some words. He greeted them all, and then looked over to me.

"Hey, it's great to see you again. Sorry I didn't say anything before, this computer business is way too time-consuming," he laughed. I greeted him back and was impressed at how well behaved he was acting. He seemed a bit different but I assumed it was because he was hanging around Leon and Aerith a lot, which was pretty good. He looked over to Sora, Donald and Goofy, who greeted him. He smiled. "It's great to see all of you safe and sound, but I guess this is no time to be playing around. I'll set up the link so you three can enter Tron's world."

"I can't go with them?" I asked. Ryan shook his head, telling me that there was only enough space for three people, since the MCP was giving them all a hard time. I understood though, and looked over to Sora and the other two. "Stay safe, you guys!"

Sora winked at me and in a second they were all teleported into Tron's world. I sighed, feeling a bit useless at the moment, but then I looked over at the computer. Ryan and Aerith were looking at something else, so I approached the computer and pressed a button. A couple of files appeared and I looked at them all—some files were plainly titled, but one of them caught my attention. Ryan and Aerith walked up to my sides, and they looked at the file that I had highlighted.

"That file is protected with a password, we can't get in it," Ryan told me. The file had initials of R.G on it, and I wondered if maybe the password Aura gave me was for this file. I grabbed the paper from my pocket and on it had the word S.M.H. I honestly didn't know what anything meant, but it didn't hurt to try. I typed in the password and for a moment everything turned off. I gasped and was about to panic, but the computer started. The screen had multiple folders and files, but the thing that caught my attention was Sora's voice.

**-x-**

_"Sora? Is that you?"_

Sora quickly perked his head up towards the sky when he heard Marie's voice, "Marie? Where are you?" he asked.

_"Still outside and in front of the computer—I can hear you guys loud and clear, it's weird."_

Sora scratched the back of his head and wondered what was going on, but he wasn't complaining. He was glad to hear her voice, and it helped a lot on his nerves concerning Tron. He told her how they were in the world and she was relieved to know nothing bad was happening so far. Sora walked over to the main terminal and found that it wasn't working all that well, but Marie chimed in.

_"Hey… that's another thing. I typed in the password that Aura gave me, and the whole computer turned off and on. I think it secured a private path online so the MCP wouldn't interfere. Here, let me turn on the terminal over there."_

A click was heard and the terminal started functioning normally. Sora asked if Marie was able to enter Tron's world, but it still wasn't possible, as the MCP still had that in control. He was a bit disappointed about that, but at least he had outside help from Marie, who proved very useful with computers—just like her cousin. They teleported onto the game grid and saw Tron fighting off the Heartless, which wasn't ending so well. They brought out their weapons and started helping Tron, but there were too many Heartless around. Marie checked out the grid and noticed this as well, and with the help of Ryan and Aerith, typed in a few commands to delete the Heartless. They teleported Tron, Sora, Donald and Goofy out of the grid and near the terminal, and Tron seemed pretty thankful.

"You really saved me," he said. Sora smiled, but told him that he really needed to thank Marie for setting up a secure path between the computer and Tron's world. He tilted his head in confusion, since the name seemed familiar. "Marie is a familiar name. I've heard of it from one of the data files here."

_"I'm Marie, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Tron."_

He looked around and asked where the voice was coming from, and she explained about a file that had a password on it. He placed a finger on his chin and thought about it for a moment, until he realized just who exactly Marie was. "Now I remember. Marie was the most frequent keyword in the database. Ansem had written many reports on her."

Marie looked around in the folders and she was quite surprised at how many files there were. She was surprised Tron knew about her, but she figured that Ansem might have written something on her while she was in her coma. She looked around some more and saw a couple of reports that Tron might have been talking about and skimmed through them quickly, all noting her time she was in a coma.

_"There's so much about me here, I… I… I remember this picture." _Sora, Donald, Goofy and Tron all looked as a picture appeared from the terminal they were near. It was a picture of Ansem the wise and Marie in a portrait when she was four, and she gave a soft chuckle that echoed through Sora and the others. Sora asked what she was feeling, and she just shook her head. _"Ansem had this picture done so that I could place it in my room in this castle. I… never thought I would see it again."_

Sora stared at the picture as well, and saw a truly happy Marie when she was young. Although he would have loved to see how Marie looked right now, he assumed she was smiling at the memories that photo brought about—and he was right. Marie smiled as she remembered having the photo done. She was wearing a cream dress with a cream ribbon in her hair while Ansem wore his usual attire. She shook her head though, and focused back towards the gang inside the world. She took the time to ask Tron what was going on and he cleared his throat.

"The MCP is ready to wage all-out war against the Users," Tron explained. Marie explained through Ryan that there was a machine creating Heartless that was going out of control. The defense system was having problems and Cid was making a program to destroy the MCP, but they needed to reach the I/O tower. "Let's try it!"

Tron asked who Cid was, and Sora explained how he was a friend of theirs. He told Tron that everyone from the outside world was worried for Tron, and he seemed really pleased that he had a lot of User friends. Goofy asked if the program was almost done and Aerith, Ryan and Marie told them that they assumed so. Sora nodded, and told them they needed to head to the I/O tower quickly. As they made their way, Marie looked around the computer some more to see if Aura was right. She clicked on a file that read 'personnel' and a list of people showed up, some of them made her eyes pop wide open.

Even, Ienzo, Aeleus, and Dilan all appeared, and she was immediately able to recognize them. Ienzo caught her eye the most at that moment, since she remembered some of the times she had with him. The other member she knew was Braig, and her heart almost skipped a beat when she remembered him. Braig was always so mean towards her, and she knew he was one of the people who tried to kidnap her. She glared at the man's picture before looking at the other personnel. When she clicked on the last name on the list, her face grew a bit pale from the picture. She had a grim look as she read the name, and she knew this was the man who took her away from her home—Xehanort. He looked incredibly different, and although she was remembering a lot of things, his image still remained somewhat of a blur. She returned to the main files in the folder, and her eyes widened when she saw something she wasn't even expecting to see—a file named Stella H.

She was about to click on it, but Leon came running in with a disc in his hands. Marie turned around and quickly made space for Leon, who ran up to the computer as he inserted the disc. The computer exited the files Marie was looking at and cut the secure path while a program appeared.

_"Warning. User control is terminated indefinitely."_

Leon growled when the system wasn't working, but Aerith came in and typed a few codes into the computer. The MCP warned them all about terminating everything, but the brunette only smiled as she pressed another button. "Bon appetit! Don't talk with your mouth full!" she giggled.

The MCP asked what she was loading and all the brunette did was give a small, innocent smile. Leon crossed his arms as Ryan and Marie watched, while Sora, Donald, Goofy and Tron waited at the I/O tower for the program. They waited for a while until the ceiling started glowing, and Tron jumped on top of the platform as he brought up his disc. It started glowing as it rose to the ceiling and came back down after a while when Tron grabbed it. Goofy asked how it felt, and Tron felt a bit weird—not understanding Merlin's magic one bit. Tron was glad though, since he got a power booster and some flight routines for the solar sailor.

Marie went back on the computer and typed in the password again, securing the path between her and the boys. She asked Sora where they were, and he explained how they were going to the simulation hangar to get a boat. Ryan raised his eyebrow at this, but typed a few codes into the computer to help them a bit.

_"All the boards there are pretty corrupted, but I can secure one that isn't. It won't be there for long so try to hurry."_

Sora nodded, and the four of them ran as quickly as they could towards the hanger. He never really noticed just how well Ryan was with a computer, in fact, he didn't know how well Marie was with one either. He decided to ask while they ran, and Marie gave a soft chuckle as she explained.

_"I did take a computer class back in Twilight Town with Hayner, Pence and Olette, so I learned a few things from there. As for the rest, I don't know… it somehow makes sense to me."_

"If I may interject," Tron said, looking towards Sora and then towards the ceiling. "I do remember reading a report on Marie specifying various traits and abilities. Some of them outlined the ability to analyze while others explained your level of understanding and adapting."

Sora wasn't really sure what Tron was talking about, but when Marie gave another short laugh and thanked the guy, he was glad to know she at least understood his words. He didn't understand why Marie never really showed her logical side, but he definitely found it surprising how smart she could really be—especially how she was in a coma. With that, however, he figured Stella or Kingdom Hearts had something to do with it. As the four of them ran towards the hangar, they saw the ship that Ryan was able to secure and boarded it. Tron typed some codes in the keyboard that was on the ship, while Ryan did the same on the other side. He scratched his head a bit, but then looked at the source information on the computer.

"The MCP will probably try and block you guys as you go, but with this secured network we can try and counter whatever he throws at you," Ryan explained. Tron thanked him, and the two of them kept typing in the computers as Sora, Donald and Goofy kept an eye out.

They eventually made it across with some Heartless here and there, but it wasn't anything that Sora and the others couldn't handle. When they got off the ship, they were met with a tall, grey, gloomy looking tower. Tron explained that the MCP was straight ahead and they were all prepared to fight him. They ran inside the tower and were met with another person—Commander Sark.

"Prepare for de-resolution!" he shouted. Marie, Ryan and Aerith all heard on the other side and she hoped that they wouldn't do anything reckless. The connection between them and the boys began to fizzle until it eventually got cut, and Ryan cursed at it. Although she was worried, she had to keep her hopes up, since this was one of those times where she couldn't help much.

**-x-**

I looked at the computer as it got cut from the connection between us and Sora, but the files were still there from that R.G folder. I took a deep breath and opened it up again. That file—the Stella H. file… I wanted to open it but something internally was preventing me from doing so, it had to be too much of a coincidence for it to be about Stella—or Kingdom Hearts. I closed my eyes and tried wondering about that voice… the voice that basically started it all for me. Did I want to see who this voice belonged to? What if it wasn't what I expected? What if it was just a random person? But if it was, then who was this Stella person to me? I took another deep breath, I guess I had to find out sooner or later… the file was right in front of me.

I entered the file and out appeared a whole biography of a woman with golden blonde hair that seemed to go a bit past her shoulders. It was pretty wavy and she had such expressive honey brown eyes. They were a bit almond shaped but it all went pretty well with her skin tone, which wasn't totally pale, but not exactly tanned. What caught me were her lips, which were so incredibly red that I couldn't tell if it was her natural tint or she had lipstick on, but she looked very pretty in the photo. I started reading the text but then Ryan came running up and gasped when he saw the photo of the woman.

"That's your mom, Marie! That's my aunt," Ryan said, practically shouting it. I looked at the photo with wide eyes though—was this actually my mother!? Ryan looked further into the file and found a picture of the man that I had in my room aboard the Gummi ship—my father. But… Stella was the name for the voice of Kingdom Hearts… it couldn't be…

_"I suppose Ansem couldn't wait any longer. Marie… that file speaks the undeniable truth. I am your mother. Both your father and I are trapped in Kingdom Hearts."_

That wasn't—that couldn't be possible! How can two people be _trapped_ inside something filled with incredible power? How come you couldn't tell me any of this from the start!? What kind of mother does this to her child!? Everything and anything I could think have gone directly to this woman, and I know she could hear it. She heard my thoughts… but just… why? I felt my hands get shaky, and I noticed Ryan was looking over to me with a concerned look, but I _just_ couldn't concentrate.

_"You can't understand right now. Marie, as a mother I had to think of what was right for my family. I know the decisions I've made haven't all been great, but I did what I needed so that you could survive. I did what I did so that you could live through that coma. I did what I did so that you'd be standing right there with people who love you as much as your father and I do."_

I felt myself shaking and crying uncontrollably with Aerith's hand soothing my back, and she asked if I was alright. She looked at the screen and gasped at the picture of Stella, and told us how she knew that woman way back before Hollow Bastion got destroyed. Everyone seemed to have known her except for her own daughter… Ryan told Aerith that she was my mother, and Aerith gasped again, wondering why we looked so much alike. I looked back at the photo, and although I didn't really see it, I guess it could have been in the hair… maybe. I took another deep breath and collected my thoughts, since I still had more stuff to go through on this computer. I didn't exactly feel like talking to Stella right now, and I know she knew that. I just needed time to digest all of that.

I didn't really want to read much on Stella or my dad since I knew they had to tell me either way, what with everything being uncovered, so I looked over that and checked out some of the other files. I couldn't really focus all that well and I still felt tears fall down my cheeks, but I continued either way. The rest of the files didn't really have much, and some of them were things that I had already known. I guess the biggest shock was Stella, and even then I still was having trouble coping with it. I knew this was something I had to talk with everyone… it was bigger than me—it involved Kingdom Hearts, and that power belonged to no one.

**-x-**

Sora, Tron, Goofy and Donald had all finished fighting off the MCP and Tron was acting incredibly happy that he almost looked silly. The connection returned from where Marie, Ryan and Aerith were, and although the girl returned somewhat to normal, she didn't want to talk all that much at the moment.

"Hey, maybe I'll tweak your program when I get back to the User world," Sora suggested, making Tron not very confident about the idea. Sora started laughing, and turned towards the other two in the room. "Aww… How 'bout it, guys? Singin' Tron? Dancin' Tron! Sound good?"

Donald started agreeing, and Tron laughed a long with them, "Okay, okay, fine. But before I crash—Sora, Donald, Goofy… and all the Users out there… thank you," he said.

Marie, Ryan and Aerith listened in as Tron thanked them all for helping him. He told them how they made him so much stronger and how they truly taught him the meaning of friendship, even going as far as saying that he knew they were going to defeat the MCP as soon as he saw them. He walked up to Sora and stuck out his hand while Sora happily returned it, but Tron pulled him into a tight hug, which Sora took by surprise. He wasn't sure what was going on, but Tron let go of the hug and looked at them. "Isn't this what Users do when they're sorry to say good bye?" he asked.

Sora was still a bit surprised, but Goofy told him that it was a promise that they were going to see each other real soon. Tron nodded, and walked up to both Donald and Goofy as he gave them each a hug, he started backing up as he waved at them. "I promise," he said.

"Where are you going?" Sora asked as he kept backing up. He gave one more genuine smile as he waved, but then quickly ran towards the center of the tower and dived into the mainframe of the CPU. Sora, Donald and Goofy all ran after him and watched in terror as he disappeared into it. "Tron…" Sora whimpered.

The floor started trembling where they were, and it was a sign that they had to leave.

**-x-**

"Things are settling down in town!" Yuffie said as she looked at us. She came in a while ago to fill us in, and I sighed in relief knowing that Sora, Donald and Goofy got everything really under control. When I heard him crying out Tron's name I knew something happened. Aerith was glad to know everything was back to normal and the computer started beeping when Sora, Donald and Goofy came out. Yuffie and Aerith were glad to see him back, but I immediately noticed Sora wasn't his usual self—something must have happened. He asked how the town was and Aerith told him how everything was back to normal.

"Hey, why the long face?" Yuffie asked as she pointed her finger at Sora. Donald explained how Tron just disappeared, and Sora continued saying that he promised they would see him again. I was about to give Sora a hug, but then we heard the computer beeping.

_"Greetings, friends. System is up, and ready for User input."_

Sora, Donald and Goofy cheered when they heard Tron's voice, and the guy told us all to stay in touch. Donald ran up to the computer and started touching it a bit, which made Tron laugh as he told him to stop it—since it tickled him so much. Goofy and Sora had such devilish smirks on their face, and they ran over to the computer as they started tickling him. They laughed as they did, and it got me a bit out of my current problem.

"I think Tron's been hanging around those guys too much," Yuffie said, to which, Ryan, Aerith and I agreed.

_"W-wait, wait just a moment. I want to show you something I dug up from the system archives—something from that folder Marie accessed. You can see the town back when it was first built."_

**-x-**

We all ran outside when the computer started glowing, since it started glowing outside, too! Yuffie and I started circling the place while tiny specks of light fell from the sky, and pillars of light appeared from various places. I smiled when I finally got the word in my head, and I turned to everyone else.

"Hey, I actually remember!" I shouted. Yuffie and Aerith nodded at me, and Sora asked what was going on.

"This town had another name once," she said. Yuffie, Aerith and I all looked towards the clock that stood right at the middle of the castle wall, and I sighed as the specks of light fell down.

"Another name?" I asked as I smirked a bit. "There's only one true name that this place has, and it's Radiant Garden."

Aerith and Yuffie nodded, and we watched as the pillars grew brighter. Sora grew a bit closer as he hugged me from behind, and I smiled as I held his hand in mine. I noticed the others making faces, but I didn't care—honestly being like this and remembering the home I had for ten years was a treat… even if I had other things to worry about. _Too many _things to worry about actually. We stayed like this for a while, until we eventually made our way towards Merlin's house, where I really wanted to speak to everyone about Stella.

**-x-**

We were back at Merlin's house where everyone was sitting down waiting for me to start, and I honestly didn't know _how_. I placed a finger on my chin as I took a deep breath, and looked at everyone sitting.

"I hate to be serious after remembering the true name of this place, but while I was looking through the files of that folder that was password protected I found something that I thought was important to share with you all," I started, taking another deep breath. "The voice that's in my head—the voice of Kingdom Hearts—is my mother."

Have the room gasped while Leon crossed his arms and Merlin stroked his beard. Cid didn't really say much, just flicked his toothpick out of his mouth. I decided to take the time to continue, but my stomach was feeling uneasy. "She even confirmed it… there are people in Kingdom Hearts and both my parents are there."

"Most unusual," Merlin said as he continued to stroke his beard. "Then you possessing the power of Kingdom Hearts are no longer a coincidence. It seems you were destined for this even before your birth."

Destined. Fated. Those words didn't exactly help, but it's the truth. Maybe this was the path I was _meant _to walk? My parents in Kingdom Hearts were just the start. Sora looked up to me, and he seemed pretty confused, but then, so was I. "So your parents are actually in Kingdom Hearts? Maybe we can get them out?"

"Sora has a point," Leon added, finished with crossing his arms. "These two people know the full length of Kingdom Hearts; maybe they'll be the key to destroy Organization XIII. We need to help them out of there—before anyone else finds out. They might use it to their advantage."

"While on my way here, Stella told me that they had already tried to get out, but they can't," I said. I noticed some of them fidgeted when I said Stella instead of mom, but… "They said their only hope was through me, but… I don't know where to start."

"Don't give up, Marie!" Yuffie cheered as she got up. "They've helped you throughout your whole life, whether you think of it or not, and they'll still help you no matter what."

I nodded—Yuffie had a point. I didn't really wanna go further in with this, but at least they knew _someone _was in Kingdom Hearts, so it wasn't impossible to enter the thing. Ryan got up from his seat and told us he was coming along with us, which didn't surprise me, but I wondered why now.

"I learned a lot from being here, but I feel like I can help a lot more than before," he said. He smiled a bit and placed his hands on his hips. "I feel pretty confident now."

Sora was on board along with the other two, and I smiled as I agreed. It would be great having Ryan back with us.

* * *

><p>Before we get to the more serious part, OMG TRON I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN KH:3D AND OMG TRON. Guys, I just… I can't I almost cried.<p>

Anyways, Marie found out who Stella was! Finally! Although she's taking it pretty well, I'm sure she wants to scream and cry it all out. Oh well, we're almost close to the end, so we'll see how everything pans out!

**Dracula X:  
><strong>Thanks for words! ;) I'm so angered that they gave Atlantica such a shit show for KH2, but if they put it in KH3 they better make it about the second movie with melody or something—ANYTHING to make it not the shit that it was.

**JoojKA:  
><strong>Haha, it's totally fine! I'm glad you read my review though. Haha, aww well at least I know I have you on it. :3 and yes Pooh is so cute! Oh, and well he said that if she had been considerate about anything Axel or Roxas would still be around, which pretty much pissed the girl. Thank you so much, we're almost near the end!

**Trubeque:  
><strong>Aw, no problem! I'm glad you took the time to read my story though. I hope you enjoyed it :D

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Haha, here's another update for you! We only got a few more chapters until this story is done!

**Shadow1n2:  
><strong>I loved Eeyore the most; he was just so fluffy and cute! It's not that bad, they have some neat stuff on sale and pretty cool people with awesome cosplays, but it could be better I think. Haha aw no I totally see them as a couple, not as family members. D:


	57. Got it Memorized?

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-383502787

**Ryan:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F29599925&qo=12

**Aura:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Aura-and-Marie-Two-sides-of-a-coin-310985460?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F29599925&qo=9

**Aura's Keyblade Order (Along with her other Keyblade that she doesn't use):  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Chaos-and-Order-178647870?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F26504272&qo=7

**A/N:  
><strong>Alright, we're finally at Twilight Town. We're FINALLY at the end. Right when Sora and they get into the other Twilight Town I'll be writing everything in third person, just to make it more balanced.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-Seven<strong>

**ଓ**

**Got it memorized?**

After leaving Radiant Garden we decided to check up on Twilight Town, mainly because of the picture we got from that big Heartless battle. Along the way though, Ryan explained how he was really glad that I was doing so much better—especially with all the problems that came my way. With Stella still on my mind, and not really wanting to talk, I was surprised myself. Maybe I'm handling things better.

Well, we got to landing on Twilight Town, and we ended up at the train station. We decided to make our way towards the mansion, and I remember when we had to write an assignment and we wrote about the seven wonders of Twilight Town. Apparently that mansion was haunted, but we never got around to actually making sure if it was or not. When we stepped out of the station my eyes brightened at the sight of the sunset—it's been so long since I've been back and the sight of it was just so breathtaking!

We started walking again and made our way towards Market Street, which was pretty empty, but my guess was everyone was either working or still in school. We found a crack through the wall, and I knew it led to the mansion through the woods, so we walked to it. Once there, I gasped when I saw Hayner, Pence and Olette on the floor.

"You guys!" I shouted when I ran up to them. I ran to Olette first while the rest helped Hayner and Pence. Sora helped Hayner up and asked what had happened, but he took a moment to get his head straight.

"We came here looking for Kairi," he said, which made my shoulders a bit stiff. He continued saying the white things started attacking them, which I knew where the Nobodies. Sora was concerned, and he even told them that they didn't have to go through all that. "Of course we did. Kairi's our friend, too, ya know."

I got up as I helped Olette, and Sora paused for a moment before agreeing. I walked a bit towards the mansion, and Hayner did too. He got word that a lot of strange visitors came to this place, and Olette agreed. "We thought this place might be the gateway to some kind of alternate Twilight Town."

"What? Where are you guys getting this from? Alternate Twilight Town?" I asked. It was so weird hearing about an alternate Twilight Town, but I guess I have seen stranger things, so it wasn't all that bad. Olette explained that the pouch we had was hers only, since she made it. They also explained how Sora had another crystal, which wasn't from our trophy—which was also a one of a kind. Hayner asked where they had gotten it from, and Goofy explained that they all got it from King Mickey.

"But then… where did the _king _get it?" Sora asked. Hayner agreed, stating that there had to be another Twilight Town somewhere around here. They said it all made sense, but the boys weren't getting it.

"That other town must be where whatever's missing from here went!" Pence said which started to make sense. They thought Kairi went missing there, and I wouldn't doubt it. We all gasped when a couple of Nobodies appeared around us, but we watched as someone jumped in—destroying almost all of them monsters.

"Watch out!" said a very familiar king. Mickey attacked a couple of other Nobodies while we attacked the ones around Hayner, Pence and Olette. Once we were finished, the King put his Keyblade away and ran up to us. "I got somethin' to tell ya. I found out where Ansem is—Ansem the wise! The real Ansem! He snuck into Organization XIII's stronghold."

"What!? All by himself? Your majesty, we've gotta go and follow him!" I replied, practically begging him to lead us. The King nodded, but asked us why we all came here.

"We got a clue," Sora replied. The King asked from whom, and Goofy explained that Sora thought it could have been Riku. It was a feeling Sora had, but the King was pretty sure he was right. Sora grew a bit annoyed, and wondered if Riku was actually okay, but the King wasn't giving him answers. "I've waited long enough, your majesty! Why can't you tell me?"

"I don't wanna break my promise," the king replied.

"You made a promise to Riku? So he's okay! I can see him again!" the king had his mouth covered, which I felt bad for since he really didn't want to say anything. Pence asked who Riku was, and Sora told them that he was his best friend, which made him figure it all out.

"Your Majesty? You got the pouch with the crystal from Riku, didn't you? And you promised not to tell, right?" the King scratched the back of his head, which pretty much gave it away. Donald told them all to stop with the questions, and Sora agreed.

"We're on our way, guys!" he said as he looked at the mansion. It was obvious he was talking about Riku and Kairi, and even though I was a bit scared of the girl, I was glad that we were going to see them soon.

We entered the mansion and, to no one's surprise, it was in pretty bad condition. Mickey said that there had to be a computer around, and Pence asked if it was the connection between the other Twilight Town. Ryan walked a bit ahead and was sure that was the case.

"It's probably like Radiant Garden with Tron's world, just maybe less complicated." He looked around while the king agreed, even saying that there should be a way into the Realm of Darkness. Sora started pestering the king a bit for information about Riku, but Donald yelled at him to stop. I was about to say something, but I looked up to see something blue walking into a room, and I wondered if it was…

"Aura…?" I said a loud. Everyone looked at me, but I ignored them as I started walking upstairs. I felt them all following me, and when I entered the room it was a giant library. Normally seeing a lot of books would make me happy, but half of the floor was missing and it turned totally into what the computer lab at Radiant Garden looked like. There were stairs leading down, so I followed them until I saw another door leading into a room.

When we entered the next room, we all saw a computer at the corner that looked incredibly complicated. Ryan and Pence walked up to it and both looked at it as Pence typed in a few words, but they couldn't get further in without a password. Mickey wondered what it could be, and Goofy suggested using the box with the photo and ice cream as a clue. Donald mentioned the ice cream, calling it salty-sweet, and I gasped as I remembered.

"Sea-salt ice cream!" I shouted. "I remember eating that ice cream every time Ansem and I were together, and he loves ice cream."

"You're absolutely right!" the King said. Hayner and Olette gave a look and asked how I knew that, and I told them how I knew Ansem, but it was a longer story than that. Pence typed in the name of the ice cream, and it gave them access as a portal appeared around the other corner. Hayner turned to us as he, Pence and Olette offered to stay behind, and I gave them all a hug.

"Hey, just come back safely," he said. I smiled and nodded, while Olette told me to be safe. Of course, I have no plans of losing now. We all walked towards the portal, and when Sora touched it we disappeared.

**-x-**

"Are we back in the same place?" Sora asked as he walked out of the portal. Donald pointed at the wildly ruined computer than Pence was using not too long ago, and it confirmed that they were actually in the other Twilight Town. "We're in Roxas' Twilight Town…"

"Let's try to find the Realm to Darkness," Mickey suggested. The gang looked around but they really only narrowed it down to the room that they hadn't explored in the other Twilight Town. They entered it and saw a weird looking ball that seemed like a portal, but the King cleared their questions and told them that it was the way towards the Ream to Darkness. They entered the portal, and were in a very weird place. It was like a vortex of some sort, and with only one entrance—the one they walked through.

"Well, which way should we go?" Donald asked as he looked around. Ryan and Marie looked around, even though there wasn't much to see, and were stumped. Sora called out to Riku and Kairi, but they were surrounded by Nobodies galore. They all took out their weapons while Ryan kept at a safe distance. Marie spun around as she attacked a couple of them and chanted a variety of her spells at them. Sora used his brute force and got through hordes of them while Goofy helped. Donald kept casting his spells, and while a lot of them were being destroyed, more kept coming.

"It's no use!" Sora shouted. They all looked around and saw the countless Nobodies surrounding them.

"Don't stop moving, or the darkness will overtake you!" Marie gasped when she heard that voice, and almost immediately, Axel came in swinging his chakrams around killing some of the Nobodies. He stared straight at all of them. "Get goin'!"

"Why?" Sora asked. Axel kissed his teeth as he told him not to question him, but a couple of Nobodies attacked him to the ground. Marie gasped again and pressed the button on her Keyblade to make the stars take out the Nobodies, and ran towards Axel.

"Are you okay, Axel?" she helped him halfway up, and although Axel was glad for the help, he looked at Sora. He explained how he kidnapped Kairi but that she got away from him, and that Saix had taken her under his captive.

"He's a member of Organization XIII. Don't forget the name—Saix. Got it memorized?" a voice was heard from behind them all, and out appeared Aura, complete with her hood down. Sora turned around and gasped a bit as he saw Aura completely from head to toe, and the first thing he noticed were the piercing eyes she bore, staring straight down at him. Yet somehow, this girl was incredibly familiar to her.

"Hey, why you gotta take my line?" Axel said as he got up. Aura passed on a smirk as she slowly started making her way towards him. She helped him up, and as a Nobody came jumping towards her, completely took it out as she slashed it with her Keyblade. Sora just watched as this girl took the lead from him, it was so weird seeing her face, but he couldn't shake the fact that he had seen it before. Multiple times.

"Axel, stop being reckless. And the rest of you, let's deal with these guys first." She swung her Keyblade which got rid of a couple of the Nobodies in one fell swoop, and the gang was amazed at the strength she achieved with it. Nonetheless, Sora prepared himself with his own Keyblade while Marie and the rest did the same. Both Aura and Marie stuck close to Axel and Sora, with one healing at times while the other defended Axel. They fought a bit longer, but the amount of Nobodies surrounding them was high, and Axel cursed.

"I think I liked it better when they were on my side," said the redhead. Aura eyed him a bit, and Sora asked if he was feeling regret, but the man just smirked and looked at him. "Nah… I can handle these punks. Watch this!"

Axel jumped away from Sora and stood at the center of the horde. He brought up his chakrams and spun them around as they started building up fire. Aura gasped a bit, not liking what was going to happen. He had already lost a good amount of energy, and when he started rising the flames got bigger.

"Axel don't!—"she shouted but got interrupted as the whole room turned bright. They all covered their eyes for a brief moment, but when it died down Aura opened them and saw Axel lying on the ground. She quickly ran to his side while the others gawked at how he got rid of every single Nobody. Marie turned around and noticed Aura hovering over Axel, and her eyes widened when she saw smoke appear him. She ran after him, with the rest having just realized what was going on. "You idiot…" Aura muttered.

"What… you're fading away…" Marie said as she bent down near him. She brought her hand near her mouth, and was terrified at what was happening. Sora appeared and asked what was happening, but Axel just chuckled softly.

"Well, that's what happens when you put your whole being into an attack. You know what I mean?" he looked over to Aura, who had her mouth slightly opened with worried eyes. He smirked a bit. "Not that Nobodies actually _have_ beings… right?"

"Axel, stop it." Aura shook her head, but he continued, saying that they needed to find Kairi. Sora told him that he would be able to tell her himself if he came along, but the redhead just shook his head.

"Think I'll pass. My heart just wouldn't be in it, you know? Haven't got one," he started chuckling softly, and Aura started to get a bit angry at how reckless and nonchalant he was acting. Sora asked what he was trying to do the whole time, but Aura knew. "I wanted to see Roxas."

Marie watched as Aura looked away, and wondered about the relationship between them, but she was focusing more on the friend she had disappearing. "He… was the only one I liked… he made me feel… like I had a heart."

He brought a hand up towards Aura and cupped her cheek, and although he knew that she hated these kinds of displays she didn't care. In fact, she used one of her hands to hold his up. She started breathing in and it became shaky, but Axel just smiled at her. "But then I met her… and Roxas didn't become the only one… I liked. Aura… there's no one more… important to me… than you. Not even Roxas. But then, it's funny… 'Cause both Sora and Marie make me feel… like I have a heart, too."

"Axel… don't go, please." He kept smiling at Aura, and simply told her that he was going to chill for a bit, chuckling a bit at his joke. She just shook her head. "Axel, I care about you so much, and all this time I never wanted anything like this to happen."

"No matter what could have gone differently… I'm happy I met you," he let out, which made Aura shake a bit more. "I'm happy that I had you in my life…"

He told Sora that Kairi was in the castle's dungeon, and that they needed to go. Marie gasped and clung to Axel's coat as she looked him straight in the eye. "You're not actually disappearing, are you? Lea you can't go! Not like this… not again!"

"Hey, we found each other the first time," he said as he gave a wink. He created a portal that connected to the castle, and looked back at the blonde. "Just get through this… and we'll meet again… got it… memorized?"

He started to disappear and as he did, Aura let a single tear fall down her cheek. Luckily for her no one caught it, but she really didn't care at all. Her closest friend in the whole time she was alive was disappearing right before her eyes, and she didn't know what to do. Marie didn't really leave a tear behind, because she was going to hold his word against him. Axel had completely disappeared, and Marie got up from bending down. She looked down at Aura, who was still completely quiet. She eventually got up, and looked at the portal before her.

"This leads to…"

"The World That Never Was—in other words, Organization XIII's stronghold." Aura took a deep breath as she walked ahead, with Marie and the rest of them following close behind. Ryan was totally confused about what had happened, but he did feel for Axel, since he had helped them out of the vortex.

**-x-**

Once they were out of that place, they reached the hideout that belonged to Organization XIII. The king walked ahead of them but stopped when he saw something above the sky. Sora ran after, with everyone but Aura following behind, and they stared up into the sky. Donald made a noise when he saw Kingdom Hearts floating above the tall buildings, and Aura walked a bit ahead of them.

"Welcome to The World That Never Was—the place that had been my home for a good amount of time." She turned around and faced them all with her piercing stare, and they all gasped when she mentioned the place being her home. "I know you all thought of it, and the answer to your questions is yes. I was part of Organization XIII for a time, and I am a Nobody. The reason why I left Organization XIII was because they wanted to use me as part of their plan."

"Why would they use you in their plans? Weren't you part of them?" Sora asked, finally getting the chance to get his questions answered. "And who's Nobody are you?"

"Because I hold half of a power that they so desperately want, and that power is Kingdom Hearts," she replied. Marie's eyes lit up, and although she knew the answers to the other two questions, she let the brunette speak. "And there is only one person in this whole space and time that has the other half."

"You're my Nobody then," Marie replied. Sora looked at the two, and was downright confused. He couldn't figure out how Marie got herself one, but then he was brought back to where she lost her heart trying to save Kairi. He looked down, but then Marie spoke. "Aura… why didn't you just… come to me when you left this place?"

"It didn't feel right at the time, and I was the one who made you forget almost everything, including Sora. I was so angry at so many things that I took it out on you and everyone involving you," she said. Sora and Marie were shocked that she was the one that started it all, but Aura still had more to say. "I thought I could go on by myself. I didn't need anyone, I didn't need Axel, and I certainly didn't need Roxas. But I was wrong, I do need everyone. There's only so much you can do by yourself."

"You knew Roxas, too?" Sora asked.

"Roxas, Axel and I were a team. We were pretty much all we had in this stupid world, and when Roxas left I didn't know what to do, I was just so angry at him," she said. Sora lowered his eyes a bit, and he felt a pang of regret fill his heart, but it certainly wasn't coming from him.

"But you're with us now, Aura. You don't have to feel alone or sad anymore, we're all here with you," Marie said as she walked up to the brunette. She grabbed her hands and smiled at her, receiving a slight smile in return. "Your past shouldn't define you. You're living now, so make what is left."

Aura gave a long, hard look at Marie, and eventually agreed. Donald and Goofy came up to her, saying that she was now part of the team, even if she was with Organization XIII. They knew she was good, especially coming from someone like Marie, and she was confident and strong. She was easily their strongest ally, and the fight with Organization XIII wasn't going to be easy. Sora walked up to them and looked at Aura—while she was annoying to him, seeing her actual face brought some mixed feelings about it all. But he knew she was reliable, and he wanted to make peace with this girl.

"Welcome aboard," he said. He brought out his hand for her to shake, but she just shook her head.

"I'm not much of a touchy person, but I'm glad to be on board," she replied. She turned her head towards the castle, and sighed. "Let's go, I'll lead the way."

**-x-**

They continued to walk into the main square of the world, but then suddenly everyone was surrounded by samurai Nobodies. Aura gave a low grunt as she knew who controlled them, and when she saw Sora running towards them in an effort to help them he disappeared. Marie shouted for Sora, but the Nobodies started to fight back. Aura took out her Keyblade, but she was concerned about Sora disappearing… was Roxas doing all of this?

Meanwhile, in another dimension, Sora fought with a boy his height in a black coat. They were evenly matched, with the boy fighting with a Keyblade of his own, and Sora wondered what was going on. They kept fighting for a bit more, and Sora demanded to know who the boy in the coat was.

"Someone from the dark," he replied in a low voice. Sora wondered if it was Riku, and the boy mentioned how he defeated a Riku once. Sora gasped as he heard this, but the boy prepared to fight. "Tell me… tell me why he picked you!"

The boy dragged his now two Keyblades to the ground as he scrapped it, but quickly brought them up as he attacked Sora. Fortunately, he blocked the attack and did one of his own. It was really even as they both kept attacking and blocking, but when the boy got an image of Marie, Riku and Kairi all by his side he lowered his eyes. "I see… that's why."

He jumped away for a bit only to come back. He attacked ferociously as Sora could only block the attacks, but was able to strike the Keyblade away from him on that last hit. Sora bent for a bit but quickly got up as he ran towards his Keyblade. Unfortunately, the boy blocked his path, and Sora glared at him as he was faced with the other end of the boy's Keyblade. Still, he was able to will his Keyblade back to him, and while the boy grew distracted Sora took the chance to strike him down. He dropped his keyblades as they disappeared, and he walked a bit past Sora before staggering. His hood fell off, and out revealed a golden blonde off his head. He managed to stand straight, and Sora was on his toes.

"You make a good other," he said as he turned around. Although he wasn't able to get a good look, Sora reverted back to the streets of The World That Never Was. He repeated what the boy had said, but was distracted as Marie came hugging him from behind.

"Sora, are you okay?" she asked, snuggling into his shirt. He grabbed hold of her arms and held them tight, asking what had happened. Goofy wasn't sure, but he explained that he disappeared and they were left to fight off the Nobodies that surrounded them. Sora merely replied nonchalantly, and his grip on Marie tightened.

"He said… he defeated Riku…," he said. Donald asked who said it, and Sora told them it was the guy in the black coat. Aura perked her head up when he said it, and he turned towards everyone as Marie left go of the hug. She was a bit confused as to who could defeat Riku, and she assured him that no one could. He was grateful for the encouraging words.

"A black coat means Organization XIII. He musta been tryin to trick ya," Goofy told him. Donald agreed, saying that was probably why no one else saw him. Sora tilted his head in confusion, and wondered how they didn't see him, but Donald simply assumed he was tired. "Come on; let's just find the way into the castle."

Donald and Goofy started walking away, while Aura stared a bit more at Sora. She really hadn't seen much, but she wondered about Roxas. She shook her head, now wasn't really the time. She followed Goofy and Donald down the road, and the only people left were Sora and Marie.

"Are you sure you're okay, Sora?" she asked. He turned over to her, and he wasn't really sure. She grabbed his hand but he pulled her into a tight hug, something that she didn't expect. They stayed like that for a while, and she dug herself into his neck for a bit. He eventually loosened the hug and looked down at her, who was giving a smile in return. He lowered his eyes and closed the space between them as he kissed her, and she happily accepted it. When they parted she looked at him, and she was still a bit concerned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah… I am," he replied. He pressed his forehead against hers and just stared. She smiled and cupped his face for a bit, until they eventually separated.

"Okay… good." He smiled back at her and asked if she was all right, and she giggled as she was. He knew she had more on her plate, but she wasn't freaking out or losing herself, which made him proud of her. She gave him one quick kiss before dragging him towards the others.

He just smiled along the way.

* * *

><p>We're so close to the ending! Ah mah gawd!<p>

**Trubeque:  
><strong>Truer words have never been spoken—nothing lasts forever, and although I am sad to be finishing up a story, I'm pretty happy that it will be done. It really only means that I can start writing my next story in this series. XD

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>Haha, I love Tron but I'm really not looking forward to writing about Tron Legacy in KH:3D because it'll be so sad. D: hmm, maybe sometime during the next chapter or so, who knows? O:

Oh man, Jack and Anna? No way, that's a horrible pairing! I haven't actually seen the movie but I really want to. I'll probably end up getting it on DVD though, so I can watch it over a billion times. :D


	58. Your Demise

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-383502787

**Ryan:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F29599925&qo=12

**Aura:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Aura-and-Marie-Two-sides-of-a-coin-310985460?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F29599925&qo=9

**Aura's Keyblade Order (Along with her other Keyblade that she doesn't use):  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Chaos-and-Order-178647870?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F26504272&qo=7

**A/N:  
><strong>We're FINALLY at the end. Can you believe it took such a long time to finish this story? Cause I can believe it. D:

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-Eight<strong>

**ଓ**

**Your demise**

The crew continued their way towards the castle and reached a dead end as they came across a cliff. The castle was literally above them, and Sora wondered what they were going to do. Aura walked in front of them and brought out her Keyblade. She pointed it towards the castle, and a beam of light appeared from it. A path was created from it, and she turned to the others.

"Let's go," she said. She walked inside as the others followed, and as they entered Mickey quickly ran his way inside. Donald called out to him, but they felt the presences of Nobodies around.

Meanwhile, Kairi and Naminé, who had just recently escaped the prison cells inside the castle, were stopped as Saix stood in front of them. He called Naminé's name, and Kairi seemed a bit confused. Unfortunately, Saix wasn't going to let either of them go.

"I'll take you to see Sora," he said as he brought his hand for her. She hesitated for a bit, and he questioned it. "You don't want to?"

"I do. More than anything. But not with you around," she threatened. Saix merely mocked them, saying that if he had a heard he would be dying of laughter, but he was interrupted when one of his Nobodies fell down. He turned around, and noticed another figure in a dark coat with a Keyblade. Saix made a comment about Roxas heaving dealt with him, and Naminé interjected.

"You can take it from here, Riku," said Naminé. Kairi gasped as she heard his name, and looked over to the man in the black coat. He quickly put his Keyblade away and fired one of his darker spells at Saix, but the man was quick to dodge it. He managed to escape through his portal, and as Riku was about to run through it Kairi stopped him.

"Riku… you're really here…" she said. She walked up to him and pulled down the hood, but all that revealed was the Heartless of Xehanort.

**-x-**

The crew trekked their way up the castle, and Marie had the ever feeling that something she didn't like was going to pop up—aside from Heartless or Nobodies. With her memory mostly intact, she wondered if she would see anyone else from Radiant Garden. She knew from Axel that Isa was around, but she was a bit worried how that meeting would go.

"Sora… you've done well," they all stopped when they heard a voice coming from above. Marie looked up, and out appeared the man in blue hair and golden eyes. Sora asked where Kairi was, but Saix had no clue, leaving behind a hint that she was catching up with her friend from the darkness. He told Sora that Kairi had no use for him, and Marie looked away, unsure of what to say. Sora didn't believe a word the man said, but Saix shrugged his shoulders. "That's up to you, but you can believe this… Organization XIII has no further use for you… look up there, our Kingdom Hearts. Thanks to you, we've collected countless hearts. Can you hear their euphoria?"

Aura glared up at Saix and all that he represented. She never liked him from day one and she couldn't understand how Marie was even friends with him. Saix merely looked at the two, and glared as the sight of them made him disgusted. He looked over to the rest, and gave a slight smirk. "All we need is one more helping from the Keyblade bearer, and the two halves."

He snapped his fingers and a horde of Heartless appeared around them all. Donald said they had to fight, but Sora couldn't. Marie and Aura looked around, but when the blonde heard a female voice across the hall her heart skipped.

"Sora!" she called out. Sora turned up towards the air and saw Kairi leaning against a balcony. She smiled widely. "Sora! it's really you!"

Sora smiled and called out to her, while Marie looked at the two. She noticed just how strikingly beautiful had become, but she became distracted when the Heartless starting coming closer. Everyone started fighting off the Heartless and Kairi gasped. She jumped off the balcony but was stopped when a bunch of shadows appeared around her. They were easily able to subdue her, but a light appeared as she was lifted off the ground. She looked up and noticed it was Riku, who had a Keyblade in his hand.

"Take it," he said. She examined the Keyblade and took a stance. She looked over to Riku, and smiled at him.

"This time _I'll_ fight! We've gotta help out Sora and Marie!" She said as she started running towards the shadows and fought with all her might, this time she was going to be the one protecting the people she loved. Riku followed close behind as he helped fight off the Heartless.

Along the stairs just outside of where the battles were taking place, Mickey came running up and fighting off every Heartless or Nobody in sight. He eventually made it to where he need to go, and fought off the Nobodies surrounding his old friend Ansem—or DiZ as he was now known as. He got up from the floor, but staggered a bit as Mickey tried to help him. Once he was up, he took off the clothes surrounding his face to reveal a man with platinum blonde hair and red eyes.

"It's been too long, my friend," he said as he looked down at Mickey. The King wanted to know why Ansem didn't come to him when things got bad, but Ansem shook his head. "Xemnas, the leader of Organization XIII, is the Nobody of Xehanort, my foremost apprentice. The burden was mine to bear."

"Is that all?" King Mickey asked. Ansem walked away for a bit and had his back turned to Mickey. He told him that he was obsessed with getting his revenge, that his apprentices stole everything precious to him—his research and his pride. He began to talk about Riku and how he looked the way he did—saying that he made him look for Roxas, a member from Organization XIII but lost in the fight against him, so he used his darkness, and the outcome became obvious. Ansem had felt horrible for bringing Riku between his need for revenge, and he could only laugh to hide his shame. Mickey explained that he made a promise to Riku not to tell Sora what had happened to him after that, and Ansem knew it was time. Mickey looked up at Ansem and took a deep breath. "You should know that Marie is in the castle, and she's eager to find you."

Ansem gave a slight smile, he was glad that the girl was well, and honestly, so proud that she had made it through every obstacle that was thrown at her. He knew now, without a doubt, that Marie was not the girl who needed protection anymore. She was her own person and she grew stronger with every hardship thrown her way, and he was excited to meet the person she became today. He picked up the gun that was on the ground, and looked down at Mickey. "Let us go."

Sora attacked a couple of Heartless near him, with Marie dealing with some of the other ones. Ryan went to hide from the fight, but he kept his eye out for anything unusual so he could want the rest. Sora looked up to see Kairi fighting near the fake Ansem, and he wondered what was going on. He heard the noise of a weapon, and looked down to see an arrow on the floor. He looked up and saw multiple arrows raining down near him and the others.

"Have you been a good boy?" a voice spoke. Both Aura and Marie perked their heads when they heard it, since they knew who it belonged to. Sora demanded the man to show himself, and he came out looking at them. "Oh, sounds like you haven't. Sora! Roxas!"

"Did he really just call me Roxas?" Sora asked as he looked at Donald. Aura lowered her eyes, but decided to ignore it. She looked up to Xigbar, the owner of the voice, and glared at him.

"You know, you really put Organization XIII in a pickle," he started. "I guess that must be why the keyblade chose you, but _man_, did it pick a dud this time."

"Watch your tongue, Xigbar," Aura growled. The older man laughed and just looked down at the once ally he trusted.

"Sorry, princess, but it's the truth." Marie glared at the man above them, to which he noticed, but still continued on as he stared at Sora. "You don't look like you're half the hero the others were."

Sora was getting fed up with the man and asked if he was done his rambling, but Xigbar just scoffed as he pointed at him. "Rambling? As if. All I'm trying to tell you, traitor, is that your time is up!"

He jumped down from where he was, and everyone took out their weapons. Aura was just mildly hesitant, since Xigbar had been pretty nice to her. She shook her head, she couldn't let that get in the way of protecting what she needed to protect. Marie was quick to take out her Keyblade, since everything she knew on Xigbar, or Braig as she remembered, was awful. The man in return pointed his gun at her, but she didn't flinch.

"I'm surprised you made it this far," he growled. He never once liked the girl, and he was angry that she was even alive now and today. "But after we're done with this, you and princess will be gone."

"I'm not going anywhere!" she shouted as she pointed her Keyblade at him. "I made it this far because of the friends I have… and the family that helped me along the way. I've survived the worst, but there's more to come, and I'll keep surviving!"

He just scoffed as he jumped up and started firing his shooter at them. Aura and Sora blocked the whole lot of them with their keyblades while Marie pointed her Keyblade at him as she pressed the trigger on it, releasing the stars that attacked him. She managed to get a couple of attacks before the stars returned, but she wasn't done yet. She raised her Keyblade as it lit up, and chanted one of her stronger spells.

"Diamond Dust!" she shouted. A snowstorm appeared around Xigbar as it made him dizzy, and after it left a couple of icicles rained down on him. It wasn't enough to incapacitate him, but he seemed a bit hurt. Aura came running in as she attacked him while his guard was momentarily down, and continuously attacked him as he blocked a couple of attacks. She felt bad for attacking him, but they knew only one could survive and she was going to be the victor.

As Aura kept attacking she blocked a couple of attacks, while she was, Sora decided to swoop in with some attacks of his own. Luckily Xigbar was off his guard, and Sora got a couple of good attacks. Donald fired a round of his spells while Donald spun his shield around. While everyone was fighting against Xigbar, the fight was really between Marie and Braig. For once she was going to complete her vow of beating everyone who betrayed Ansem—he didn't deserve for any of this.

"How could you!?" she shouted as she came running up to him. She attacked him but he blocked it with his shooter, and they stood facing each other eye-to-eye. "Everything that he had ever done for you and this is how you repay him!? Stabbing him in the back? You ought to be ashamed; Ansem the Wise was a great leader! Xehanort can never even come close!"

"Nah, he's even better!" Xigbar shouted. Their weapons skimmed and made a couple of metallic noises, but they still kept their positions. "Get out of your little world already."

He managed to fling Marie's Keyblade out of her hands, and she staggered a bit. Right when he was about to attack she quickly kicked his shins and jumped out of the way as she willed her Keyblade back to her. Xigbar fired a shot from his shooter but she back flipped right as the arrow went by her, and she fired the stars from her Keyblade at him. Aura was pretty amazed at the fighting Marie presented, but she was going to have to end the fight soon. She called over Donald and Goofy to offer a distraction, and when they were up and doing it; she looked over to Marie and Sora. They all nodded at her, and the three of them started running up to Xigbar as he was distracted by Donald and Goofy.

Marie brought up her Keyblade along with Sora and Aura, and they pointed them at Xigbar. A white light appeared from Marie's Keyblade, a blue one appeared from Aura, and a red one appeared from Sora's. When they lights combined it created a lavender coloured light that went directly towards Xigbar. He gave out a pained cry, and the light got brighter. Everyone covered their eyes and when the light died down they looked ahead. Xigbar was still standing for a bit as he pointed his shooter at them all, but quickly fell to his knees after. He dropped his weapon soon after.

Aura walked a bit up to him, and she could tell that he was frightened at the thought of disappearing. She sighed as she brought one of her hands close to her. "Xigbar... you should have chosen the right path…"

"Is there even a _path_ for us Nobodies to walk on?" he said as he scoffed at her. Marie walked up beside Aura, and although she hated Braig for all he had done, she wondered if he could ever change. He looked up to see them both standing together, and even though Aura had betrayed him he still liked the girl. She was bright and had an attitude that he appreciated. But Marie, on the other hand, was someone he just didn't like. "You know, you've always been an annoying brat. The fact that you came back to haunt me even _after_ I was turned into a Nobody… I don't know whether to call it annoying or impressive."

She glared at him, since it was all she could do. Sora came up to them, and gave him a hard look. "Why did you call me Roxas?" he asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Xigbar let out before he completely disappeared. Aura sighed again when he disappeared, but she was brought out of her thoughts when Donald mentioned Kairi. They turned up towards the balcony and saw her fighting along the fake Ansem, and Marie was curious as to know how she learned how to fight. She shook her head however, they needed to help her.

"Sora, guys… come on, we've help Kairi," she said as she walked in front of everyone. Aura looked at her and knew it was hard on Marie, but she was glad she wasn't getting angry. Sora smiled and held her hand, letting her know that he loved her no matter what. She smiled and seemed more confident, but she just needed to be sure. Ryan came up towards them and told them they needed to hurry, and the gang started making their way.

**-x-**

"Kairi, you were great!" Donald shouted as they made their way towards her and the mysterious man. She turned around and smiled at all of them, and when she saw Marie looking back at her, her smile widened. She was glad that the blonde was alright along with Sora, who walked up to her.

"You are different, Kairi, but I'm just glad you're here!" he said as he smiled at her. She smiled back and told him that since neither he nor Riku came back, she went out and looked for them. He felt bad that he never said anything to show her that he was alright, but she shook her head and ran up to hug him.

"This is real…" she spoke aloud. He didn't place his hands on her and looked over to Marie, who was surprisingly smiling at them. She tilted her head as her smile widened, and he took it as a sign to hug her back. Donald and Goofy nudged Marie as they looked at her, and she looked back at them.

"It's okay… they miss each other," she said. Aura lowered her eyes and wondered about the words Riku had told her about being considerate. She looked over to him, who was staring at both Kairi and Sora, and sighed. He stopped staring and created a portal that he was about to go through, but Sora parted from the hug and quickly called out to him.

"Wait, Ansem! I mean, Xehanort's Heartless…" he said. He took a deep breath as he looked at him. "I never thought for a second that I'd ever see _you _again. Just thinking about all the things you did make me really mad, but… thanks for saving Kairi."

The man didn't say anything, and he started walking away, but Kairi ran up to him as she grabbed his arm. "Riku, don't go!"

The whole room was filled with gasps, and both Donald and Goofy had their mouths gapped open. Ryan's eyes widened when he took another look at the man, and wondered how Riku ever turned into someone like that. Aura crossed her arms as she watched them all freak out, and she walked a bit to the side. The most who were really stunned was Sora and Marie, who had both their mouths and eyes wide opened.

"Kairi, what did you just say?" Sora asked. Kairi turned around and repeated Riku's name, while the man with her told them that he was no one—just a castaway from the darkness. Aura scoffed and walked up a bit towards Riku and Kairi, and she looked at them. Riku honestly didn't know what to do or say anymore, and he looked at the brunette hoping she would say something, but she looked away.

"Sora, Marie, come here. Say something to him," Kairi called out. Sora looked at Marie, who was as confused as he was, but they walked up to them anyways. Kairi smiled at them both, and she grabbed Sora's hand as she placed it in Riku's. She did the same for Marie, and when they both looked at each other they smiled. Although they weren't saying much to each other, they at least made things civil. "Here. You'll understand."

She told them to close their eyes, and when they did they both got an image of Riku right in front of them. Marie gasped as her eyes opened wide, while Sora took his time to really take in the fact that his best friend in the whole wide world was standing right before him. He cried out his name, and started to fall to his knees as he did.

"It's Riku. Riku's here…" he said. Marie looked down as Sora let a tear roll down and she really felt for him—the person Sora wanted to see the most was right here with them all, and she smiled at them. "I looked for you!"

"C'mon, Sora. you've got to pull it together," Riku said as he looked down at Sora as well. Sora just shook his head as he let the tear roll down again, saying that he looked everywhere for him. Riku just kept staring. "I didn't want you to find me."

Goofy explained that Riku had helped them along the way, and Donald grew confused. Goofy knew all those clues that were given to them were from Riku, and the man gave a small smile. "I was starting to worry you guys weren't ever gonna catch on. Sora never did pick the brightest friends.—"

"Hey!" Marie called out as she puffed her cheeks at him, but Riku smiled at her. Sora still wasn't all that well, and asked him why he never let them know he was okay, but Riku didn't want any of them to find him the way he was. In order to use the power of darkness he had to become Ansem himself, and he wasn't okay with it—thus why he didn't want anyone to see him like that. Marie tilted her head and looked up at Riku. "Can you not change back?" she asked.

"This battle isn't over. And until it is, I still need the power of darkness," he replied. Marie looked over to Sora and Kairi, and they all had the same general idea.

"Then, let's finish it. You're still Riku, no matter what!" Sora told him. Donald and Goofy nodded as well as Kairi and Marie. Ryan walked up to them, and although he wasn't so close to Riku he still agreed. "How 'bout it: think we can handle one last rumble together?" Sora asked.

Donald agreed with Goofy, and Sora looked over to Aura, who had her right arm wrapped around the other. He noticed that she seemed a bit distracted—or perhaps sad, but he still wanted her around for the last fight, knowing full well that she was willing to fight for their cause. She looked up at them, and she gave a chuckle.

"One last rumble, huh? You're all something else," she said as she walked towards them. "But I'm game. We can definitely win this with all of us."

The whole lot grew confident about their numbers, and they proceeded their way further into the castle.

**-x-**

"This spot should do," said Ansem as he stopped with Mickey. He set up the gun that he was holding, and pointed it towards the sky where Kingdom Hearts was. Mickey asked what the device was for, and Ansem explained as he continued to set it up. "It's a device to reclaim Kingdom Hearts and encode it as data."

Neither of them really knew the outcome, as hearts were unpredictable. Ansem only hoped that it wouldn't affect Marie in any way, and that it would actually aid her. He fired the beam and it went directly towards Kingdom Hearts. He kept staring at it, and as he did images of Stella, Marie and even Aura appeared in his head. The woman who practically started it all was Stella's mother, but he wondered. When would Stella be free of the fate she was bestowed? When would the hill family be free of their curse?

* * *

><p>Agh, so close to the end! Maybe like two-three more chapters left? I at least get to go past my 60 chapter mark, but I might want to clean this story up when I have time. I can't wait for the ending!<p> 


	59. With Love, from your guardian angel

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-383502787

**Ryan:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F29599925&qo=12

**Aura:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Aura-and-Marie-Two-sides-of-a-coin-310985460?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F29599925&qo=9

**Aura's Keyblade Order (Along with her other Keyblade that she doesn't use):  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Chaos-and-Order-178647870?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F26504272&qo=7

**A/N:  
><strong>We're FINALLY at the end. I'll tell you now that this story might not have such a pleasant ending… Do you think Ryan and Kairi would make a cute couple? O:

This chapter gets a bit wordy by the middle-end of it.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-Nine<strong>

**ଓ**

**With love, from your guardian angel**

As the crew continued their way further in the castle, both Marie and Aura's foreheads began to glow. Marie felt it burning more than usual, and when she rubbed it the others started to notice the glow as well.

"Whoa, your foreheads are glowing!" Ryan said as he pointed to them. Sora walked up to Marie as he rubbed her arm, which Kairi took note of, while Aura closed her eyes for a bit. She noted that it was a different feeling than usual, to which Marie agreed. Kairi wondered who the brunette girl was, since she looked quite similar to Marie, but she was too intimidated to approach her.

"Why are you foreheads glowing?" Sora asked as he kept rubbing her arm. Riku was another to wonder about the relationship between Sora and Marie, but he was also curious about the glows. Aura looked up towards the sky as she saw a beam going straight towards Kingdom Hearts, and she caught everyone's attention as she made them look. "What's that?" Sora asked.

"It's the king and DiZ—I mean, Ansem the wise—"

"Ansem's actually here!?" Marie said as she unintentionally interrupted Riku. He nodded, and she looked towards the path ahead of them. She brought up her hands and ignored the burning sensation coming from her forehead a bit, and wondered about Ansem. She was about to start running so that she could see him, but a couple of large cards came up behind her, Aura and Sora. When they turned around they saw Luxord standing right in front of the cards, and when the cards disappeared, so did the rest of the crew.

"Luxord—"

"I'd rather we just skip the formalities," Luxord said as he interrupted Aura. He snapped his finger as they were all teleported into his own room, which has greatly changed from the last time Aura saw it. He presented them all with a couple cards that had faces of the gang, and Aura rolled her eyes.

"Nuh-uh, I'm not having this," she growled as she pointed her Keyblade at him. "I've always hated your card games."

Luxord just laughed as the cards disappeared. He brought up random cards that started to attack the trio, but they were quick on their toes and got to hacking them away. Luxord was the kind of man who had plenty of tricks up his sleeves, and Aura let the other two know. Marie attacked a couple of the cards near her while Sora used a bit of his magic, Aura was trying to get to Luxord so she could attack him, but he kept disappearing into his cards.

"I find it awfully sad that we never got the chance to talk," he mocked Aura. She rolled her eyes again and swung her Keyblade as she attacked a couple of cards, and it was getting annoying that she couldn't just hit Luxord straight up. He kept hiding behind his cards, and Sora attacked a couple more cards. They didn't know where they stood what with attacking the cards, and Aura spun around as she faced Luxord.

"We never talked because I barely saw you around," she admitted. She managed to run up to him as she landed some heavy hitters, and he was pretty damaged from them. "Honestly, I hate card games, so we would probably never talk anyways."

She attacked him a couple more times, and Marie noticed this. She pulled the trigger from her Keyblade and released the stars from it, which went straight towards Luxord. Sora came in after fighting off the last bit of his cards, and continuously attacked Luxord. Since he really only had his cards, he didn't have much to defend himself with, so he took some big hits. In fact, it was a pretty easy fight for the trio, and Marie was really getting in tune with her fighting abilities. It wasn't that hard to get Luxord feeling fatigued, and when he surrounded himself with his cards, Sora quickly slashed it horizontally.

Luxord fell right after, and while supporting himself on one knee, looked at Sora's back. "How could you… Roxas…"

"That's _Sora_!" he shouted back. Aura willed her Keyblade away and wrapped her arm around the other as large cards appeared all around them. When they left the rest of the gang appeared. Kairi asked if they were all okay, and Sora replied. "Yea, no worries. Let's keep going!"

They were teleported out of the room and saw another room lit up. Aura walked a bit ahead and noticed it belonged to Saix—and she knew what they had to do. She turned to the rest and gave them a piercing look, but then focused straight on Marie. "Do you want to meet your friend from the past? I'll tell you now; he's not the person you remember."

Marie walked over to her as she clasped her hands together. She looked over to the lit room door that had a symbol on it—something resembling a moon. She lowered her eyes and gave a long and weary sigh, this was it; she was finally going to meet Isa. She got lucky that Axel wasn't anywhere near corrupted, but she was certainly worried after hearing all of the things that Saix did.

"I'll be fine, and we need to stop every member of Organization XIII," she said. She turned to Aura, who nodded, and then to the rest. They all looked at her before nodding; Sora and Riku knew that Saix's Somebody was good friends with Marie, so they knew it was going to be tough. Regardless, they all followed her and Aura as they entered the room.

When they walked inside, Aura led them all the way towards the end of the room, where Saix stood staring out into the big window he had. It sported Kingdom Hearts, and as he heard footsteps approaching he turned around and faced the crew that he had anticipated.

"Only you could have made it this far in one piece… Roxas," Saix said. He noticed Aura fidget a bit, and decided to play with it. "But then, with Aura by your side, I bet you feel you can do anything."

"That's really getting old!" Sora shouted. Donald and Goofy ran in front of Sora as they told Saix to stop calling him Roxas. The bluenette merely stared for a while until he brought out his sword, which transformed into a larger weapon. Marie gasped as she ran in front of everyone else and spread her arms across them.

"Isa, please!" she begged. "Whatever happened to you? I know that this isn't you… can't we just go back to how it was, you know, with you, me and Lea?"

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen," he said as he glared at Marie. She had a look of sadness on her face and she lowered her eyes, was there really no way to help Isa? The man just scoffed. "Those times will never come back. Just accept your fate as a sacrifice."

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" Aura said as she brought out her Keyblade. She walked up in front of Marie as the blonde returned to the back. Aura glared right into Saix's golden eyes, and she pointed her Keyblade at him. "I don't care if you were my original's friend; I'm going to wipe the floor with you—for everything you've ever done!"

Saix took that as the invitation to start, and he created a blast that knocked Marie, Kairi, Ryan and Riku off to the side. He created a portal so they couldn't enter the field, and Marie tapped against it. She called out to Sora and the remainder that were in the field, and he turned and mouthed that he would be okay. Aura was the first to attack, and while Saix went completely berserk, she still landed an attack. Sora, Donald and Goofy came in after with their own set of attacks, and Marie watched with anxiety as her friends fought.

"You knew that psycho?" Ryan asked as he looked at Marie. She nodded, but told them that he was a pretty carefree person back then. She loved that he was always with her and Lea and that he smiled a lot back then. She didn't mind his sarcasm as much as Lea did, but that was part of his charm. She looked at the fight that was currently going on, and she sighed as she watched Isa become a maniac.

"Marie, you knew these people?" Kairi asked as he walked up to the blonde. Marie tensed up a bit when Kairi's hand touched her shoulder, but she loosened up when she turned to her.

"I knew some of them. I knew Axel, Saix, Xigbar, and Dilan," she said as she looked at both Kairi and Riku. "I even knew Xehanort. He was the one who kidnapped me from Destiny Islands, but he didn't look the way he does now."

She was able to remember more on Xehanort, but it still became somewhat of a blur when she tried to remember the Xehanort who kidnapped her. Kairi gasped a bit when she heard about the kidnapping part, but was relieved that Marie was still around. She took a deep breath though, and decided to ask a question that had been on her mind.

"And… you and Sora?" Marie's eyes widened a bit as she blushed, and Kairi looked down to the necklace that she had on—the one similar to the necklace Sora wore. She chuckled to herself, thinking she was asking a stupid question—of course she knew the answer to that question, and she smiled at Marie. "I'm happy for you two."

Riku stared at them both, and knew that Kairi would always care for Sora. But he was glad that she accepted that Marie and Sora were together, but he had always been amazed at her maturity and level of understanding. Ryan looked over at Kairi, and never really realized just how pretty she was, of course, he knew she was pretty—but taking a closer look really helped. Kairi noticed him staring and blushed a bit, but the brunette hadn't noticed, he only smiled at her.

"Say, Kairi… how's Selphie doing?" he asked. He knew it wasn't the right time to be asking, but he couldn't help but be concerned about the girl. Kairi just smiled, and told him that she was doing fine, but she had noticed that he went missing—everyone noticed it. Ryan was surprised, since he felt like most of his time was spent in the hospital, so he got the idea that no one really noticed him. Kairi shook her head; she was the first along with Selphie to notice that he was gone, and both Tidus and Wakka told her that he went looking for Marie.

"I actually would have gone with you…" she admitted. Ryan scratched the back of his head, and felt a bit bashful at how sweet Kairi was being. Still, he thanked the redhead for being so considerate, and Kairi blushed again. Marie looked at the two and was glad they were pretty nice to each other, even Riku was glad there would be no animosity in the group.

Marie turned her attention towards the battle between Saix, Sora, Aura, Goofy and Donald. They were all fighting with all their might and she felt bad that she couldn't participate, however, she felt like she wouldn't be able to hit Saix. He was still someone to her, and she was honestly devastated that he wouldn't stop. Ryan kept his eye on Aura who, not too long ago, revealed she was one half of Marie. It was honestly hard to take in and he couldn't really think of anything to say, but he was glad a strong girl like Aura was on their side—he was also glad that a half of Marie was an epic fighter. He would honestly miss her when they part ways. Aura came in full force in the fight, since she did not like Saix one bit. He was a manipulative person and she hated all that he did—playing with the minds of everyone was something she couldn't forgive. She played with Roxas' mind, Axel's mind and even her own—but no more!

She blocked an attack and quickly spun her keyblade at him, but he was able to block half of it. She wasn't done though, and she ran up to the Nobody in top speed as she brought out her hand. With a simple snap she sent Saïx flying across the room, and Sora attacked him as he was about to land. Donald fired a round of his spells and Goofy did the usual of helping others by protecting them. He spun his shield around occasionally.

Aura fell hard on her back as she was attacked by Saïx, and she bent over to catch her breath for a bit. Marie noticed this and brought her hands together as she watched Aura bent down, and she felt horrible that she couldn't help them. She closed her eyes for a moment but felt her forehead burning a bit more. Aura felt the same thing and she looked over to Marie—something was going on and she wondered if time was running out for her. Would she merge with Marie before the big fight? She quickly shook her head and focused on the fight before her. Sora kept attacking Saïx repeatedly and she ran towards them as she raised her keyblade—ready to deliver the final blow. Unfortunately, Saïx blocked the attack and pushed her aside, but she quickly got up.

"You know you really should have listened to your friends," Aura said as she stood face-to-face with Saïx. He glared at the girl before him, and was getting tired of her overbearing sarcasm. She didn't care. "But then, all of your friends seem to bail on you—even if your only friend was Axel."

"I could say the same for you," he spat back. She smirked at the man as she shook her head.

"I surprisingly have a handful of them, and I'm not going to take them for granted like you did," she retorted. She looked over to the other three and they all nodded as they concentrated all of their attacks into one bum rush. Goofy came in as a distractor while Donald kept casting his spells, and Sora dragged his keyblade on the floor before picking it up, and together with Aura they slashed and brought Saïx down to his knees.

As the force field disappeared from Marie and the others, she quickly ran up towards Saïx, but was stopped by both Sora and Aura. She watched with a bit of sadness as Saïx got up from the ground and limped over to the window. He looked up at kingdom hearts.

"Why… kingdom hearts… where is my heart?" he pleaded. Marie lowered her eyes as he started to disappear, and she took a deep breath once he was gone. A friend so dear to her went and had his mind corrupted by the darkness, was there even a way to bring him to the light?

"I don't get it. Why's everyone been calling me Roxas?" Sora asked as he turned to Riku. The man in the coat explained it to him, and simply said that Roxas was his Nobody. "My… Nobody? But that's crazy; I never turned into a heart… oh, right."

"It happened when you rescued both Kairi and Marie," Aura said. Everyone turned to her, and Sora suddenly felt like he knew the reason why she was so familiar. She didn't look at them, and continued speaking. "He was found by Xemnas about a week before me, and the reason he was able to use the keyblade was _because_ he was your Nobody."

"It's the reason why he was brought into the Organization—and partly the reason why Aura was brought into it, but their main focus with her was her powers with Kingdom Hearts," Riku finished. He looked over to the brunette as she was still turned, but he continued. "But Roxas betrayed them. After that I fought him because I thought it would help you wake up. I lost, but the next time we met, I made sure I was the stronger one."

Riku continued saying how he really didn't think he had to fight him, since he believed that Roxas left the Organization because he wanted to meet Sora. The brunette boy lowered his eyes, and felt regret about not having the chance to meet him, but Riku pointed at his heart. Sora brought his hand up and touched it, and what Riku meant by it was that Roxas was already in Sora's heart. Riku turned around and started walking to the exit, telling hem they had to go. Kairi and Ryan followed not long after, with Sora, Donald and Goofy close behind. Aura stayed behind a bit, and she lowered her head as she stared down towards the floor. Marie noticed this, and walked up to the brunette and asked if she was feeling all right.

"I… was angry with Roxas because I thought he didn't care about me," she said. "I guess… I never really knew how much Roxas was going through. I was definitely being inconsiderate."

"Do you… love Roxas?" Marie asked. Aura didn't really know—what with everything happening, she didn't know if she was still going to exist. What did Roxas think of her now? Did he hate her guts because she was so insensitive? Did he no longer want to be her friend? It was hard to tell, and the more she kept it behind, the less she felt being close to him.

"Marie, Aura, are you guys okay?" Sora said as he came back into the room looking for them. Marie looked as the whole crew came back, and Aura sighed. Marie told him she was fine, and she looked over to Aura, who was still distant.

_"Aura, are you okay?"_

Aura's eyes widened as she heard Roxas' voice, and she turned towards Sora. She sighed again when all she saw the brunette looking at her oddly. She shook her head and looked at everyone else. She had a crooked smile; since it was the best she could pull at the moment, and nodded.

"Let's go," she said. She walked past everyone and headed towards the exit. Marie didn't get an answer to her question, and she was worried about Aura—she seemed way calmer than before, and she wondered if maybe Aura was hiding something else from them.

**-x-**

While the beam was still pointing at Kingdom Hearts, it started to shake and become a bit unstable. Ansem started laughing, with Mickey asking if he was alright, but the man just shook his head. "I'm a fool. I've spent years studying the workings of a heart. Yet it seems I still haven't learned a thing!"

"What do you mean?" asked the King.

"The process of encoding hearts is incalculable. The inhabitants of my twilight town were data created from real hearts," he explained. "I was convinced that they would think and behave the way I had envisioned—but I couldn't have been more wrong. A heart is so much more than any system. I saw it when Roxas and Kairi crossed paths, or when he met Marie."

Ansem was too stubborn to accept it, and it was always the same. He would wrap around things that his heart knew, but they kept failing. He mentioned how he had so many plans while trying to bring back Sora, but when the boy was active none of those plans came to fruition. His research amounted to nothing compared with Sora's heart. The machine started to buzz and frizz and the King grew worried, but the wise man only stated that he was right about the heart being unable to be contained by data.

"Run, my friend! It's going to self-destruct, and anything could happen!" Ansem warned him. The king was unsure of what to do, and as luck had it, the crew came running up to them.

"Your majesty!" Sora shouted. Marie came up running beside him, but almost fell over when she saw the face that she had wanted to meet for years. She quickly came to a stop, and the man turned to her—giving her one of his warmer smiles.

"A…Ansem, it's really… it's really you," she said, barely in a whisper. He nodded at the girl, and she brought a hand over her mouth. The tears came rushing down, not that she could do much to prevent them, and her knees felt like buckling. "Ansem… oh Ansem… I waited forever to see you… to say that I've missed you… to say that not a day went by where I wasn't thinking about you."

"To have this moment speaking with you, my dear Marie… is worth the troubles I've gone through," he said. She kept crying uncontrollably, and he noticed the look of sheer happiness on her face—a face he was hurt to see, considering what was about to erupt. "Had I not let you help with my research you would have not gone through all that has occurred with you. I am truly sorry."

"No… no, don't apologize, none of that matters," she said as her voice cracked a bit at the end. "I finally got to meet you, and if going through all of that had to be done just to see you again; I would do it again—just to have my 'big brother' back."

Ansem smiled at the young girl before him. She was certainly a different person from when he knew her, but he was glad. She gave a big smile at him, but looked down at the machine that he was holding, and it seemed way too out of control. It gave out a spark, and the king called out to Ansem. The man looked over to Sora, who told him that the rest was up to them all. He then proceeded to talk to Roxas, and hoping the boy would hear him, apologized. Mickey shouted his name once more, but the man shook his head.

"My heart is telling me what I must do," Ansem replied, making Marie's smile immediately drop. "Please allow me to do what it says!"

Marie gasped as she heard him say that, but Sora held her back. The tears came falling back down, and even the king protested against it, but Riku interrupted. "His heart's decided. We can't change that."

"I was wondering who would dare interfere with my Kingdom Hearts. And look—here you all are." A portal appeared as another man in a black coat appeared, and Aura growled as she knew who it was—Xemnas. "How convenient for me."

"Kingdom Hearts is not yours you idiot!" Aura shouted as loud as she could. Xemnas merely ignored her, and looked over to Ansem.

"Ansem the wise… you look pathetic," he told him. Ansem merely told him that he deserved it for failing to see Xemnas for the fool he was. "Students do take after their teachers. Only a fool would be your apprentice. After all, none of this would have happened without you. _You_ are the source of all Heartless."

Xemnas told him that it was Ansem's research that inspired him to go further than he went, and it lead to them discovering the powers of Marie and Aura. Ansem admitted that his disregard brought chaos to more than one world, but asked Xemnas what he was seeking. The apprentice had kicked Ansem into the darkness and used his own name and continued research that shouldn't have been researched.

"Is this the answer you've been looking for?" he asked.

"All that and more. I'm carrying on what you yourself began, and I'm creating a brand new world, one heart at a time," he replied. Aura eyed the man as he continued to speak, while Marie was still being held back as she whimpered for Ansem's safety. "I thought you'd praise me, but all you ever di is hold me back. I understand though. Unlike me, you have a heart. And you're powerless to control it. Consumed, by the jealousy you feel toward the student who surpassed you."

"Xehanort. Foolish apprentice of a foolish man. You have surpassed nothing—only proved how little we both know," Ansem replied, struggling to hold onto the machine. "We may profess to know the heart, but its essence is beyond our reach. We're both ignorant—as oblivious as when we began. I'm afraid that any world you try to create… any world of yours… would be an empire of ignorance. That is why you and your creation are destined to fall!"

The machine under Ansem grew too unstable, and he stopped talking once he noticed. He looked over to Riku, telling him that he knew what he had to do, and to Mickey, who called him his dear friend. He apologized to him, and the King was incredibly disheartened.

But the most disheartened of them all was Marie, who struggled out of Sora's grasp as she kept crying. Ansem turned to her, and he gave her one final smile as he spoke.

"You are a strong young woman, Marie—just like your mother." She stared at him as he continued to smile, and she begged him not to go. He gave a small chuckle. "You, my dear, hold a special power that _no one _can take. Change the worlds, so that no one will ever have to leave the ones they love behind. Farewell."

She cried out his name as she finally got out of Sora's grasp, but the machine lit up as it began to disintegrate. They all gasped as they saw her running towards Ansem, but had to cover their eyes as the light grew too bright. A bomb erupted from where Marie and Ansem stood, and Sora cried out for Marie and assumed she got caught in the explosion. The gang all fell to the floor from the tremor that appeared, and Aura, who was blinded by the light, was brutally punched in the back of her head and fainted as a result. She was caught before she fell to the floor, and went through a portal with the man in the black coat. Hearts started falling from the sky, and as they reached towards the floor Heartless came sprouting out.

When the light, explosion and tremors stopped, Sora was the first to get up. He gasped as he saw Marie still standing with a shield placed up in front of her. When it disappeared, she quickly fell to her knees and placed her palms on the floor. A single string of red cloth fell from the sky, and she watched with tears in her eyes as it fell to the ground. She picked it up and started hiccupping as she held it tight. Sora ran up to her side and pulled her into a tight hug, where she started crying.

"Sora…" she managed to let out.

"It's okay…" he cooed. She held on tighter to the hug, and after a few moments of letting her tears out, the rest of the crew slowly got up, save for Riku. She stopped crying, thinking that she was starting to become a burden, and kissed the cloth as she safely tucked it away in her pocket. Sora kept hugging her and rubbed her back a bit, but he looked over to his best friend, who seemed completely different and was still on the ground. "Riku…?"

Marie parted from the hug and turned to her friend as well, and when they both noticed his skin was a different tone, immediately got up and ran over to him. He grunted and groaned as he got up, but when he did, the rest of the gang walked up to him and watched as he was turned back into himself. He was still wearing his black coat and his hair grew longer, but he was sporting a blindfold now. Donald and Goofy awed at his appearance, while Kairi cheered. Ryan seemed pretty amazed that he got his body and appearance back, but was mostly surprised at how much he changed in looks.

"Ansem did say "anything could happen"…" Mickey said. Marie looked down to the floor and Sora noticed. She shook her head however, and looked over to Riku. He looked back, but the girl just smiled at him—even if she didn't really feel like smiling.

"Riku, are you going to take off your blindfold?" she asked. The young man tilted his head until he realized it was still on, and when he took it off Marie was pleasantly surprised. Sora asked why he had it on, but Mickey explained that his eyes couldn't lie. Sora teased him and asked who he was trying to fool, but Riku nonchalantly replied that he was fooling himself.

"Riku, why'd you try to do so much by yourself?" Sora asked. He pulled everyone in the gang near him and pointed at all of them. "You got friends… like us!"

Riku took a long, hard look at everyone. Donald, Goofy and Mickey all smiled at the teen, while Kairi and Ryan smiled as they nodded. Sora and Marie were at the center, and the brunette gave him a big, bright smile. He looked over to the blonde who, even though was immensely in pain after losing Ansem, gave a genuine smile at him.

"Have you forgotten? I'll tell you why," he walked up to Sora, and had a slight smirk plastered in his face. "'Cause I'm not a total sap like you."

"Say that again!" Sora retorted, getting back to their rival-like friendship. Donald gulped as they looked over to Kingdom Hearts, which had hearts falling out of it. They walked over to the edge of the balcony and saw countless of Heartless making their way up the castle. Sora asked what they should do, and Riku told them they needed to defeat Xemnas.

"He's the Organization's last survivor," Riku told them. Marie perked her head at what Riku said, and looked around the room to find what she was looking for. She couldn't find Aura anywhere, and she gave a loud gasp as she found her hat lying near the shadows. She ran over and bent down near it as she picked it up, and on cue made everyone aware that Aura was missing.

"Do you think… something happened to Aura?" Marie asked, unprepared of the answer that she was hoping she wouldn't receive. Riku walked up and bent down near her as he looked at the hat. He grew a bit worried about Aura, and was brought back to what she had told him not too long ago.

_"You're absolutely right. I am an inconsiderate Nobody, but I'll disappear soon."_

He mentally cursed to himself—was she going to stop Xemnas on her own? No, she didn't really fit the type, and he knew she wasn't stupid enough to walk in front of Xemnas and demand a fight. But really, with the way she had been acting he grew even more worried. He didn't really want to talk to her throughout their time together in the castle because he felt intimidated—which was a first for him, but it was her eerily calm exterior that intimidated him. How could she stay so calm when they were fighting their biggest foe?

_"I cannot exist… everyone was right; I shouldn't exist. When the time comes, we'll be fighting side by side I hope… so I'm not going to say goodbye right now, I'll save that for later. When I disappear, Riku… forget me. Forget everything about me… I don't want to be the person that just disappeared. I would rather no one remember me from the start than be the person that they knew… as if I was somebody."_

"Riku, do you think she went to fight Xemnas?" Marie asked, taking the question right out of his head. He continued to look down at the hat—the hat that Aura loved so much—and grabbed it from Marie's hands.

"No, and even if she did, I won't let her. She can't disappear like this," he said. Marie noticed a small speck of fire in his eyes, and she wondered why Riku was so protective of Aura all of a sudden. Last she recalled they didn't talk one bit when they were all together, so what was going on? She looked at the hat and how Riku had a tight hold on it, but she didn't want to ask. She was worried about Aura as well, but she had to ask something.

"You said Xemnas was the last survivor of Organization XIII, but Aura was part of it too," she said. She looked over to Sora, who had recently solved his problems with the blonde member of the Organization. "Roxas was a part of Organization XIII too, but now he's with Sora. What happens to Aura?"

"…I'm not really sure. It's different with you two," he said. Marie raised her eyebrow in confusion, but Riku continued. "If Aura goes back to you the two halves become whole, and it'll be much easier for Xemnas to take hold of your power. She wants to stay the way she is so that no one can take that power, but… I know she feels incomplete with just being a Nobody…"

"I don't wanna lose Aura…," the blonde stated. Riku nodded, and agreed with her. He got up, and held the hat she wore close to his heart. He wasn't going to let Aura disappear.

"Come on, let's go. Aura needs all of us," he said. Sora agreed with him along with the rest, even Kairi agreed even though she had never spoken to the girl. Marie got up and thanked Riku, telling him that they all needed her as well.

* * *

><p>Oh. Em. GEEE. We're officially at the end of the worlds, but we're not done until it gets to the epilogue, which will be another mind frak. Keep your seat belts on; we're going for a ride!<p>

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Aww, don't worry I'll be writing on KH:3D a bit after this story is done. I just need to get my story plot written and set up all my characters that will be in the next sega.

**JoojKA:  
><strong>Haha, well here's another two chapters for you to read! Gurl, you know how I do. :D and yes! I figured a nice change for that world would be great, plus it went well with the little plot involving Marie and her mother. OMG I KNOW SHES SO STRONG THEY GROW UP SO FAST UAHGGG.

Aww Aura. You're in luck; the next story will have her as the main character! She comes back with a whole lot of woman and attitude, but with the return of her self from Nameless Days! Haha she'd definitely beat you up! Omg I know! I was like, NOOOOO Axel! The feels, man, the feels! They ache!

Haha, more Sorie to come, especially at the end~

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>Yeah I know, but I was so sad when he died in KH2. I was honestly so happy he came back and I can write more about him hurr durr! I sincerely Hope that all of those scenes are up to your standards, because it was a lot to think and write about, haha. I feel like I did a half-assed job on the Kairi part. What, Rapunzel? What the heck man, haha. That's just a big no-no.


	60. It's now or never!

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-383502787

**Ryan:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F29599925&qo=12

**Aura:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Aura-and-Marie-Two-sides-of-a-coin-310985460?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F29599925&qo=9

**Aura's Keyblade Order (Along with her other Keyblade that she doesn't use):  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Chaos-and-Order-178647870?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F26504272&qo=7

**A/N:  
><strong>We're FINALLY at the end. Like the legit end. I'll make it as descriptive as possible, but there are a few more chapters to go after this. As far as the game goes though… we're done with Organization XIII here.

Also, aside from Marie kicking ass, you will see a _huge_ surprise by the middle of this chapter and it involves Stella. This chapter also gets a bit wordy by the end.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixty<strong>

**ଓ**

**It's Now or Never!**

Marie held her breath along the way towards the top, but Kairi had stopped them when she pointed up towards the walls. Heartless came crawling in and started lurking their way towards the crew, and they all held their ground as they watched.

"There's gonna be no end to this," Riku stated as he carefully kept his eye on them. Sora looked over to him and Marie and told them that they could stop them together, and the two smiled as they nodded.

"Be gone from here! Leave these creatures to us!" Maleficent said as she appeared with Pete in front of them. Pete didn't feel like he and the witch could handle all of the Heartless on their own, but Maleficent told him that she'd be sending them to Xemnas, but asked if Pete preferred to fight them all.

"Frankly my dear, I'd rather… _run_!" he retorted. She scoffed and told him to leave, and when Pete turned around he met with the king. Mickey told him to abandon ship, knowing full well that Pete wasn't going to listen to him. The man just scoffed. "What like "abandon ship"? I don't think so!"

"Sora! "Your Majesty"! Do not forget—when I've destroyed them all, this castle shall be mine!" she told them. Pete also added in that opportunities like the ones he had gotten didn't come very often, and ran to Maleficent's side. He looked over to her as she prepared her staff, and the two started running towards the Heartless.

"We gotta hurry," Mickey said. Sora seemed a bit hesitant, since it was a first that Maleficent and Pete were helping them, but the King shook his head. "They're doing what their hearts command. We can't interfere."

The King started walking towards the top with everyone else following behind. Marie took a moment to look at Maleficent and Pete, who were indeed doing what their hearts commanded them to. She breathed in, and nodded her head for confirmation—she was determined to stop Xemnas from his harm. She started making her way towards the rest of the group, but Ryan pulled back a bit to talk with his cousin.

"Marie, you wouldn't believe it, but I think my anemia is gone," he said. Marie's eyes widened, and she asked how he knew. He explained how he didn't feel short of breath right after running, but Marie really wondered. "When we go back home I should ask the doctor. King Mickey said that anything could happen, so maybe this was one of those things."

"Maybe," she replied. She was still upset over losing Ansem, but she had to stay strong for herself and for the wise man. He told her she was a strong young woman, and she was going to promise herself that she would strive to be just that. Mickey started running up the stairs that lead to the altar, and Ryan started running as well—with Marie noticing that he actually wasn't losing his breath as quickly as he was before.

Up at the altar, Aura moaned as she started opening her eyes. She took a slow glance at what was around her, and she quickly realized she was at the Altar of Naught. She tried getting up, but only got as far as being on her knees, since her hands were tied up. She struggled to get out, "Son of a b—"

"So you awake from slumber," the all familiar and annoying voice said. She looked up to see Xemnas staring up at the sky. She heard footsteps approaching, and turned her head to see the rest of the crew climbing up the stairs. Marie gasped and tried running after her, but Aura shouted for her to stop—for fear of merging once they touched. Xemnas brought up his hands in a motion that looked like he was grabbing Kingdom Hearts. "Ohh… my Kingdom Hearts… ruined."

He turned around and extended his hand towards Marie, who grew on edge with the man nearby. "With your powers, I can fix my Kingdom Hearts, and all shall be mine."

"No!" Sora, Riku and Mickey shouted at once. Xemnas only stared at them, and asked why they hated the darkness so much, but Mickey told him they didn't—the worlds were made of light _and_ dark. One couldn't be without the other, since darkness was half of everything. Riku told them that the darkness was only scary because of who lurked inside of it, and Xemnas placed a finger on his chin.

"Then allow me another question. You accept darkness, yet choose to live in the light," he said. "So why is it that you loathe us who teeter on the edge of nothing? We who were turned away by both light and dark—never given a choice?"

He pointed to himself and Aura, who glared straight at the man. Riku briefly stared at Aura before turning back to Xemnas. "That's simple. It's because you mess up our worlds."

Xemnas told them that he had a point, but asked what other choice they had. Aura scoffed and got up with her hands still tied. "People cannot sympathize with those unwilling to change. I left the Organization when I knew what you were trying to do, even though I had 'no choice'. You're just choosing not to do anything."

Sora added in that Xemnas was also just a Nobody—that he couldn't be sad about anything. Aura ignored the statement, since he was also indirectly talking about her, and tried getting herself out of the strings that tied her hands together. Xemnas chuckled and told Sora that he didn't miss a thing about learning about them.

"I cannot feel—sorrow… no matter what misery befalls the worlds. No matter what you think, what you feel, or how you exist." With those words, Xemnas raised his hands in the air with small beams rising from the floor. The light from it surrounded everyone, to which they had to cover their eyes with their hands. Once the light was gone, Sora and Xemnas were missing, and Marie gasped.

"Where did they go?" she asked. Riku looked around and was as confused. Aura struggled to get the strings off her hands, but Mickey noticed that they were magically tied.

"I don't think you'll be getting out of those unless Xemnas takes them off," he said. Aura scoffed and cursed under her breath. Marie looked down at the strings, but heard the words of the woman who was supposedly her mother.

_"I know you would rather not hear my voice, but you've got to stop Xemnas from trying to take Kingdom Hearts for himself. This power belongs to no one—not even us."_

Marie and Aura nodded as they looked away from the sky. She remembered how close Xehanort was last year from entering Kingdom Hearts. The door to darkness was opened, and honestly it could have been smooth walking into the place. Marie was thankful that Mickey and Riku took care of the Heartless on the other side, but they weren't able to actually enter Kingdom Hearts. Stella had her own set of security while she had been inside the place. Marie looked around as she saw the rest worriedly talking about Sora, and she placed a hand on her heart as she looked down at the floor and closed her eyes. Her body began to light up, and everyone took notice. Aura wondered what was going on, and when she saw light from above looked up to see Kingdom Hearts lighting up as well.

"What's going on?" Kairi asked staring as Marie looked up towards Kingdom Hearts with her eyes still closed. The blonde wanted so badly to protect everyone dear to her, she wanted the worlds to be safe and protected, and she wanted to end the suffering. These thoughts and hopes on her shoulders responded with the world above, and as if answering her pleas, bestowed her with the power she had once lost.

Stella and Dante also watched as it happened, and since they weren't the ones giving Marie her power, were surprised that it started responding on its own. Could it be that the world of all worlds… the heart of all hearts… was finally seeing Marie as guardian material? The light from both Marie and Kingdom Hearts shined a bit longer, until they both slowly died down. The blonde slowly looked down and opened her eyes.

"What happened?" the king asked as he watched Marie fix her composure. The girl perked her head at the question, and shrugged her shoulders a bit.

"I feel stronger," she told him. She looked down at herself to see if she had changed or anything, but when she didn't she looked at everyone. "It's weird… it's like I heard the voice of Kingdom Hearts… not the voice of the people in it, but… the actual world."

"What did it say?" Riku asked, growing curious about the phenomena that occurred.

"Thank you," she told him. It was odd, why was it saying thank you? Marie felt she had done nothing to deserve such praise, but she wondered if something else was about to happen? Maybe her woman's intuition was telling her something? Who knew, but she was glad that she had the extra power to protect what she held dear. Speaking of one person she held dear, she looked around and asked about Sora. They didn't know where he was, and she shouted, "Sora! Where are you?"

"Sora! Answer me!" Riku shouted after. A portal appeared out in front of them, with the brunette boy falling out from it. The crew quickly ran over to them, with Aura completely disappearing from them all. Marie bent down to help him up, and although he was grateful for the action, asked where Xemnas was. Donald looked around, and gasped when he pointed up towards Kingdom Hearts.

"Aura!" Marie shouted as she saw the Nobody floating in the center of Kingdom Hearts. It was like a repeat of last year, and she brought her hand close to her when she noticed Aura was completely knocked out. The brunette had her arms spread out as she hung her head low, and a small ball of light surrounded her.

"Hear me, Kingdom Hearts. It seems we must begin anew. Ah, but know this: I will give you as many hearts as it takes, mark my words!" he stated as he floated up in the center of Kingdom Hearts as well. The thing itself started glowing and spiraling specks of light ferociously, and Xemnas smiled. "You can no more be complete without me than I without you. Heed me, Kingdom Hearts! Lend me your power, so that we may be complete!"

The light surrounding Aura shined brightly as he started absorbing her powers. The brunette managed to open her eyes and struggled against the agonizing pain of having her powers—practically all that she was worth—being pulled from her. Mickey told Xemnas to stop, with Marie stepping a bit forward as she watched Aura's twisted face of pain.

"Hearts quivering with hatred..." he started. Sora told him to stop, but he kept chanting his words. The more he chanted, the more the crew protested. "That fool Ansem said the heart's true nature was beyond his understanding, but it's not beyond mine! Hearts are the source of all power!"

The light around him and Aura grew stronger and the brunette was almost in tears at the amount of pain she was sustaining. Marie felt those tears through her own body, and she glared at the man above them. When the light left both Xemnas and Aura were nowhere in sight, and Marie gasped.

"No! Aura!" she shouted. She brought out her hand, and almost instantly a speck of light appeared from it. A door was created soon after, and Marie's eyes grew wide as she looked from her hand to the door. "Did I do that?"

"Kingdom Hearts… I get it," Mickey said as he looked at Marie and then at the door. He explained how Marie must have gotten her powers back from before, but with some added features. The girl was a bit confused, but Mickey explained it a bit further. "When you told us that Kingdom Hearts said thank you, it must have trusted you with its own actual powers."

"That means I'm back to where I started—being the guardian of Kingdom Hearts," she replied. Mickey nodded his head, and told her how she had a role to fill now. Marie looked away and down towards the floor for a bit as she caught her breath, but she quickly looked up and had a determined look on her face. "Then I've gotta a whole lot to do, now that I understand more than last year. But… I still don't really know how to use most of the powers I already have."

"That's okay, Marie. We're all here for you!" Donald said as he smiled at the blonde. She looked over to everyone, who smiled as they gave a nod—even Kairi. Sora walked up and held her hands as he smiled wider than usual, telling her that she wouldn't be alone like how she was in her coma. The blonde smiled, and together with Sora, turned towards the door.

"This door will lead us to Aura and Xemnas… I can feel it," she said. She was finally ready after eleven years of having the power to do so much. Riku and everyone else walked up beside them, and the silver head spoke as he stared at the door.

"Once we go through, there's no turning back. It's victory… or oblivion," he said. He turned towards Sora and Marie, who were still staring at the door. "It'll be like last time… fighting all together. Are you guys ready?"

The two of them nodded. Marie stood in front of the door as Riku, Sora and Mickey stood behind her. They brought their keyblades out and centered them all together near the ground, and when a bright light appeared in all three of them they started raising them towards the sky. When Marie's Keyblade started shining she took it out and pointed it at the door—a brighter light than all three of the ones behind her shined and out came a beam that went straight. The door began to open and Sora stared ahead with confidence.

"Get ready, Xemnas! It all ends here!" Sora shouted. They entered through the door and Sora gasped as he saw a complete replica of The World That Never Was. Marie examined the place—was this actual Kingdom Hearts? Were they really inside?

"So… it seems your hearts have led you to obliteration," Xemnas said as he stared at them all way across the other end. "Perhaps it doesn't pay to be too loyal to one's heart. I will have to be sure and remember that."

He brought up his hand and a tall building started making its way towards the gang. Kairi, Ryan, and the King were the first to start running towards the door, and when the building crashed down to the floor Sora, Riku, Marie, Donald and Goofy fell down. They quickly tried getting up, but when they saw the door was closing on them, Riku shouted for the other three that made it safely behind the door. They were separated once again and Marie banged on the door—she had no control over the place since it was completely under Xemnas' control.

"He must have used all of Aura's powers!" she shouted. Riku looked around and tried spotting the girl, but she was nowhere in sight. He was trying his best to forget Aura—per her request and that she would merge with Marie once this was all done—but he couldn't deny his feelings, the girl meant way more than he had hoped. Marie brought her hands close to her chest and didn't like what she was feeling—or the lack of feeling. "I can't feel her presence here… you don't think?—"

"No, Aura can't be gone," he replied—rather too sharply. He didn't like to hear anything that involved Aura disappearing or being gone. She was around the place, just hidden. Marie took a closer look at Riku's face and noticed the same look from before, but she knew it wasn't the time to ask—instead Sora asked.

"Why are you so worried about Aura? You guys barely know each other." Riku didn't know how to reply, and it wasn't really the time. Instead, he looked at them both and promised to tell them once they finished fighting with Xemnas. Marie was happy with the answer, as well as Sora, and their attention was brought to one of the roofs of the building as they heard the jingle of a Keyblade.

Out stood a woman clothed in white and black with a green, pearl-like Keyblade in her hand. The woman had long, golden blonde hair and the most defined honey brown eyes. They looked rather sharp, quite similar to Aura's eyes, and she had plush, naturally tinted lips. Her skin tone was neither fair nor tanned, but rather, in between. The woman jumped all the way from the building towards the three teens and the two loyal subjects of the King, and placed her Keyblade away. The woman had a full figure that Marie seemed a _bit_ jealous of, but the thing she noticed the most was the aging the woman had endured. Although she had aged well and retained her beauty, it was obvious that the woman went through a lot. Upon closer inspection, Marie gasped when she figured the woman was exactly like Stella on the computer back at Radiant Garden.

"You're Stella, aren't you?" she asked, stepping a bit in front of everyone else. The woman looked down at the girl, and she gave a deep breath as she smiled.

"Yes, Marie. I am Stella, the voice you've been hearing all those years," she said as she placed her hands on Marie's shoulders, "And your mother."

Sora, Donald and Goofy all gasped and gave a questioning look as they stared between Marie and the woman named Stella. They knew Marie was able to talk to a voice from Kingdom Hearts, but they had no clue that she was an actual physical being—and Marie's mother no less! They watched as Stella cupped her daughter's face, and Marie only flinched a bit, but she stared up at Stella.

"I've waited _years_ for the day I would be able to see you," Stella started. She softly caressed Marie's face. "I can see you, and I can feel you! There was nothing more I wanted than to see my daughter's beautiful face."

"Stella… I mean, mom. I don't know how to feel right now, but I would really like to stop Xemnas and save Aura," Marie replied, unsure of how to feel. Stella slowly pulled her hands away, feeling sudden rejection from her own child. She shook her head though; Marie _did_ have a point about stopping Xemnas.

"…You're right," Stella looked at everyone else, who seemed completely flabbergasted minus Riku, who pretty much knew all of this from the start. She took out her Keyblade again, and created a confident stance in front of everyone, "I'll explain everything once we're done with Xemnas," she pointed her blade towards the man, who stood at the very end, "I have some unfinished business with Xehanort, after all."

Riku nodded, taking out his Keyblade, while Sora slowly took out his. He still wasn't sure what was going on, but he was surprised that Marie's mother had been _inside_ Kingdom Hearts all along. He took a closer look at both of them, and they practically looked a lot with their thick, long blonde hair, but not _exactly_ alike. Marie took out her Keyblade and started running ahead, and both Donald and Goofy did the same. Riku and Sora ran right after, with Stella taking a glance at them all before running as well. They all ran until a couple of buildings blocked their path, but Stella quickly ran in front of them and used her Keyblade to create lines across said buildings. They feel apart, and Marie quickly looked at her with such awe—who knew her own mother was this strong.

Stella turned to them and motioned them to follow, and they ran as far as they could. They managed to spot the device that Xemnas himself was on, and they jumped on a rising building to help them reach the top. Marie looked around as she ran and noticed a bunch of skyscrapers circling around Xemnas, and shouted at the rest.

"We've gotta get on those buildings if we're gonna reach Aura!" Riku and Sora looked at them, and on cue jumped on one of them as they used each building as a stepping platform. Marie and Stella followed soon after with Donald and Goofy not far behind. The young blonde felt quite intimidated fighting alongside her own mother—who seemed more than adequate wielding her own Keyblade, but she was glad a woman such as her was on their side. Stella ran a bit farther than the rest and kept slicing down the buildings with her sheer strength, and Riku pointed at an opening to the device Xemnas was on. Once they were inside the thing, they noticed a central core.

"We'll most likely need to pass through there," Stella told them as she pointed at the core. She looked around at the Nobodies creeping their way towards them and thought of a plan. "If we throw these monsters at the core, it'll damage it."

"How do you know all this?" Sora asked, quite interested in how she just came up with plans like it was nothing.

"You learn a thing or two observing the enemy," she simple told him. Again, Marie looked over to the older blonde. It was weird that her friends were speaking to her mother, but then everything else involving Stella was pretty weird, but she couldn't focus on that! She turned and quickly started leading the Nobodies towards the core, and with her newfound powers, found it a bit easier to fight them all. Riku and Sora stood by her side as they fought the Nobodies towards the core, with Stella checking on the thing. She noticed there were two other cores on each side as well, and she informed the others before jumping towards the left core. Donald and Goofy made their way towards the right core, and dealt with the Nobodies there. Stella was feeling great about finally having to fight, and all her training within Kingdom Hearts had finally paid off. Her moves were swift yet elegant, and she exercised all of the abilities she had learned during her past adventure. Donald and Goofy were able to take care of the right side, and jumped before it exploded. Stella was about done as well, but noticed that the three teens took care of the central core. She jumped out of the way once the left side exploded, and they all met up towards the top of the burnt cores.

Sora looked up and noticed a small entrance inside the tall white building bearing the Organization insignia, and Marie raised her Keyblade to create an aero magic around them. The lot of them jumped up and with the magic around them, helped them jump all the way towards the opening. Once they were inside they saw another core at the center, and when they saw bouts of electricity spazzing around it, figured it was an energy core. There were also a bit of Nobodies around them, but Sora changed into one of his forms to get rid of them. Goofy disappeared as the result, but the rest focused on destroying the energy core. Marie noticed some of the Nobodies coming from above, so it took upon herself to use her magic to fire them away. Some that landed were dealt swiftly by Sora, and the two were able to get rid of the remaining enemies as Riku, Stella, and Donald destroyed the energy core.

They were teleported out from the area and into a new one. They looked around and noticed Xemnas in a suit of amour sitting at the top of the throne that was built. He had a tall spear in his right hand, while the area surrounding him glorified his status. It wasn't that hard to get rid of the armor, since it seemed he was stuck to his throne. The boys plus Stella got to attacking, while Marie stepped back and focused more on healing. At times she chanted a couple of her own spells, but mostly just healed.

"Donald!" she shouted as she raised her hand to cast a healing spell. The duck quickly thanked her and to got to attacking. She looked up to see a couple of spears floating above, and looked down towards the others. "Guys!" she shouted as she ran in front of them. She raised her Keyblade above her and created a barrier around them all. The spears came crashing down, but broke in half once they reached the barrier. Of course, the shield broke once the spears were gone, and they went back to attacking.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a woman with bright orange hair appeared. Her sharp, lime green eyes glared quickly at her target. She quickly attacked Stella, but the blonde was able to block her attacks. Everyone else stopped fighting to see their new enemy, but Xemnas was the only one who seemed quite happy about her appearance. "At last, you are cured by the darkness!"

"Darkness…?" Stella asked. She turned to take a closer at the woman, and besides the strain of aging and stress, she quickly gasped as she realized who the woman was. "Trinity? But, we got rid of you!"

"It's a wonder what the darkness can do," she snarled back in a low and sultry voice. Stella could only stare with her jaw practically falling off. Marie wondered who the orange-headed woman was. She was a tall woman with an hourglass figure, who wore a simple black cloak. Marie wanted to ask about her but right before she was the woman glared at Stella. "See if you can catch me, Stella."

The woman ran through a portal and fired one of her magic pistols at Stella—who blocked it, but the blonde was completely shocked. She was a bit angrier, knowing her once-time enemy came back, but she knew what she had to do. She couldn't understand _how_ she made her way into Kingdom Hearts, but knew full well it had something to do with Xemnas. Trinity was a threat, and she wasn't going to let her stay alive. She turned back to the crew with a look of sadness—knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to see Marie for a while—and quickly ran through the portal. She was eternally grateful that her daughter managed to open the door and release both her and her husband, but she knew Trinity couldn't be left alone. Marie quickly tried running after her, but the portal closed right before she could. Before she could even wonder about the two, a spear came falling down towards her. Sora ran and quickly grabbed her as they made it out of the way, and Marie hugged him. Riku, Donald and Goofy quickly fought off Xemnas, with Sora dealing the last blow after he helped Marie up. They were quickly teleported out of the room and back at the Altar of Naught, with Xemnas barely able to stand.

"I need…more rage… I need more… hearts…," he told them as he fell on one knee. Sora lowered his Keyblade and felt a bit bad for the man. He told them that there was more to a heart than just anger or hate, telling him that it held more feelings that that. Sora asked if he remembered, but the man stared at him. "Unfortunately… I don't."

He started disappearing from them all, and Marie grew desperate when Aura didn't appear at all. The rest of the crew cheered with the exception of Riku and Marie, but they were glad that Xemnas was dealt with. Mickey commended them all, saying how great they were. Sora noticed Marie and Riku looking away, and he walked up to them. He looked over to Riku, who seemed more in a confused state.

"You're coming back with us, right?" Sora asked Riku. The silver head told him that he had given in to the darkness, asking how he could show his face to everyone. Sora pulled a funny face by pushing his lips together, turning his lips to look like fish. Marie started laughing, which then made Riku laugh. The building started trembling, with Mickey telling them the place was about to collapse.

"Wait, we can't leave without Aura! We haven't found her yet," Marie pleaded, looking at Riku for some support. He couldn't really say much, since he was out of words when it came to the brunette. He just shook his head, which meant to Marie that he had given up.

"I'll open a path," Riku said instead. He brought up his hand, but nothing appeared. Mickey told him that he no longer belonged in the dark realm anymore, and Donald asked how they were going to get out. They all heard a slight jingle and turned around to face a pale girl with platinum blonde hair dressed in a simple white dress. The only people who couldn't see her were Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Ryan, who all ran over to the portal.

"Hey, did you make this?" Ryan asked as he looked at Donald, who simple shook his head. He asked the king, but not even Mickey was sure. Ryan scratched the back of his head, but he really didn't care. "Well, we better go if we don't wanna get squashed."

As soon as he said that a dog named Pluto, the king's loyal pet, came running around them all. He quickly ran into the portal, with Goofy running after him. Mickey started running after with Donald, and Ryan quickly turned around and told them all to hurry before he ran through it. The four teens started walking up to the portal, and out appeared the blonde girl with the white dress again.

"Thank you, Naminé," Kairi said, to which the blonde smiled.

"Sure," she replied. She looked at Sora. "See? We meet again, like we promised."

Sora grew confused, but then a voice was heard, and out appeared a boy who seemed to look identical to Sora—only with side-spiked blonde hair and a beige-looking outfit. "You said we'd meet again, but when you did, we might not recognize each other."

The blonde smiled and told him he was right, and she was glad to see Roxas one last time. "I always thought Nobodies were doomed to fade back into darkness… but you and I didn't."

Marie walked over to see the two talking, and when she took a closer look at the blonde boy, she realized that he was Roxas—the same Roxas that Aura knew. It was weird, and both Naminé and Roxas turned to face the girl as she lowered her head.

"I don't see Aura," Roxas said. Marie perked her head up, and saw a frown on the boy's face. She shook her head and brought her hands close to her heart. "You're her original, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yes, I am. I'm sure she would have loved to talk to you again, Roxas," Marie said, smiling sweetly at the boy. He still had his frown on his face, concerned for the brunette Nobody, and he had been looking forward to seeing her. All that he wanted to say to her would have to wait, but he felt deep in his own heart—or Sora's heart, that she was going to come back to them all.

"We'll be waiting for her," Naminé said, giving a reassuring smile to Marie. "And as long as you're all together, we'll all be together."

"We'll definitely be together, right guys?" Kairi asked as she looked towards Sora and Marie. They both nodded, and Kairi extended her hand for Naminé to touch. When they touched hands, a light appeared around Naminé, and she disappeared as a light surrounded Kairi. Sora seemed completely shocked, but Roxas told him to look sharp. They were surrounded by a blue light, and Roxas disappeared.

"Don't worry, you're all still you," Riku comforted Sora as the boy started questioning about it.

"Hey, let's go home!" Kairi said as she stood in front of the portal waiting for the other three. Sora turned to them, telling them it was finally time to go home. When the three of them started walking, they noticed the portal started disappearing once Kairi walked through it. She turned around and gasped. "Sora! Riku! Marie!" She cried.

They all looked around as the portal disappeared, but a bright light temporarily blinded them. When it disappeared they saw a green orb far across the altar. A giant, dragon-like airship appeared in front of them and started flying towards the tower. It skimmed the side, but it was enough to tip it over. The three teens started slipping down the slide, and Marie shouted as she felt herself falling quickly.

"Marie!" Sora and Riku shouted. She stopped screaming when she fell on something hard, but quickly got up and took a look around. It was an odd looking device, but it resembled something of a motorcycle with two pads on each side. She looked at the controls and noticed it had buttons and a steering wheel, and since it was already on, steered it towards the boys.

"Hey, get on!" she shouted. The two quickly slid down and jumped on a crumbling piece of concrete before jumping onto the pads. Marie momentarily lost her balance when they both jumped on, but quickly composed herself as she firmly held the steering wheel. She wasn't the best at steering, but seeing Sora hold the wheel was enough to know what _not_ to do. She steered all the way to the back of the ship, and both Sora and Riku started bouncing off the energy beams that were being thrown at them. Marie made sure that they weren't hit, but accidentally pressed one of the buttons near the wheel, which caused a huge laser to shoot out. The boys managed to destroy the rear bumper of the ship, which fell to the ground, while Marie tried her best to steer their bike towards the wings. She didn't realize that their bike was gathering energy, and Riku told her to press the button she pressed before. She nodded, looked down and pressed the button, and a giant laser appeared once more. It was enough to destroy part of the wings, but they were still operational and kept flying. Sora fired a couple of his magic, which tore off one wing, and Riku got rid of the other.

Marie stopped the bike, and the three of them watched as the bigger ship started crashing towards the ground. When it did, a huge gust of wind started surrounding it and the three teens. When it disappeared, they noticed that the ship was stuck to the ground, and Marie landed towards a spot where she could. As they got off, the bike started floating its way towards a black hole, and Marie gasped when she saw it. Many other things started getting dragged into it, and they all glared at Xemnas as he sat in his armor again.

The three of them took out their Keyblades and started assaulting the man. Marie kept her eye on attacking, casting and healing, while the boys straight out focused on physical strength. Marie ran around while trying to avoid some of Xemnas', and she jumped as she fired some of her spells. Gravity around the place wasn't as strong, so the three of them could maneuver around quite easily. Some of the buildings from before appeared, and Sora and Riku got to work as they used those buildings to hit Xemnas. They got hit a couple of times, but it was nothing that Marie couldn't heal. Riku kept attacking and ran up to Marie as kept firing her spells, but then thought of an idea. He told Marie to cast a spell towards his Keyblade, and although she seemed a bit skeptic, did it anyways. She chanted one of her fire spells, and it changed to a fiery orb that surrounded Riku's blade. She seemed surprised, but the boy went straight to attacking Xemnas. She did the same, casting one of her stronger attacks, and Sora jumped a bit as he spun his Keyblade around their enemy.

They heard Xemnas make some guttural noises followed by a scream, and they all huddled close by as they were teleported into a different room. They looked around and saw that it was a bright room with various designs around, and noticed that said designs moved around the room. They also saw Xemnas, clothes in a black and white robe much similar to his Organization XIII outfit.

"Heroes from the realm of light… I will no allow it to end this way—not yet," he said, staring all three of them down. "If light and darkness are eternal, then surely we nothings must be the same… eternal!"

"You're right, light and darkness are eternal, and nothing probably goes on forever, too. But guess what, Xemnas?" Riku said as he looked at the man before him.

"That doesn't mean _you're_ eternal!" Sora continued. Xemnas started laughing, telling them that he was no more eternal than the radiance of them all. Marie stared straight at the man, and asked where Aura was. Xemnas brought up his hand, and out appeared a throne behind him, with Aura silently sitting on it as her head hung low. Marie gasped, not because of Aura, but because of the man sitting just a bit below her. Xemnas took the chance to strike her, but Sora and Riku quickly blocked it.

"Go help Aura! We'll take care of Xemnas," Riku told her. Marie quickly nodded, and started running towards Aura and the man. Once there, she saw that Aura was unconscious, and tried waking her up. The man beside them woke up, and didn't seem as hurt as Aura, who was pale beyond all and barely breathing.

"Marie?" he called out. The blonde looked down, and gasped when she saw the man's face.

"You're my dad!" she shouted. He gave a faint smile, and she quickly jumped down to face him. She examined the man's face, and it was like staring straight into the mirror, albeit an older looking mirror. The man was another who had aged considerably, with his brown eyebrows sagging a bit. His light brown hair had grown just a bit past his shoulders, but he kept it in a pony tail. His sea-green doe-like eyes were filled with such happiness though, and Marie couldn't help but smile. "I have a picture of you from my cousin. You look a lot younger, but I know it's you."

"I'm incredibly happy to meet you, sweetheart," he told her. "You look so different now that I'm seeing you in person. You've grown into such a beautiful young woman."

"I'm happy to see you too," she told him. She looked down at the shackles around him, and she tried breaking them with her Keyblade. It didn't work, and she wondered why. "What's wrong with these things?"

"You have to use your powers from Kingdom Hearts, it's the only thing strong enough to break these," he said as he pointed to his shackles. Marie wasn't so sure, but she quickly changed the subject and asked Dante how he got captured. The man told her that when he came out of Kingdom Hearts, he went straight to helping Aura. Unfortunately, since he didn't anticipate how strong Xehanort—or Xemnas became, was overtaken quite easily. Dante shook his head, and looked at Marie. "Have you seen your mother yet?"

"You mean Stella?—"

"Why do you call her that? She's your mother."

"Maybe because she _lied_ to me about being in Kingdom Hearts, I think I would've appreciated it if she had told me from the start," Marie told him. Dante sighed, but the girl continued. "It's hard to call someone like that mom immediately, but with you it's different. I barely even heard your voice—just that one time, but I feel like it's easier to call you dad."

"That makes me very happy, but you know your mother did everything she could to make sure you survived," he told her. Marie held onto the shackles, and sighed as she looked down. "She did everything she could to keep us _both_ surviving. I suffered an attack that could've been deadly had your mother not choose to enter Kingdom Hearts. Sure, she has those moments where you question her actions, but your mother is incredibly selfless when it comes to us—her only daughter and her husband."

Marie looked away, and saw the fight between Riku, Sora and Xemnas. They were fighting hard to protect everything dear, and in a way, Stella was doing the same—although more quietly. She rejected the woman by calling her Stella instead of mother, and Marie was starting to feel bad about it. Both her mother and father did everything they could so that Marie could live to this day, and her thoughts even went back to Ansem. She couldn't let any of them down, and she slowly got up from Dante.

"You and mom _did_ do everything for me, and I didn't even know of it," she told him. She looked over to Riku and Sora, who were struggling just a bit. She brought her hand close to her heart, and turned around. "I'm sorry, but I'll make it up to you guys, starting with beating the snot out of him."

She quickly ran towards Riku and Sora, and brought out her Keyblade. Xemnas was pretty much already halfway through his health, but so were Sora and Riku. She quickly brought up her Keyblade and a giant light appeared as she chanted her healing spell. Xemnas created a temporary dimension that brought all three of the teens in. they saw a bunch of lasers surround them, and Marie brought up her Keyblade as they all reflected the lasers. One after the other, they kept concentrating on reflecting them, without even having the time to blink. Marie created a reflect spell, which reflected a whole lot enough to get them out of the dimension.

Once out, Riku was quickly knocked back by Xemnas' light blade. He brought his blade close to Sora's neck, and was about to slice it through, but Marie came in and blocked the attack. Xemnas brought down the other light blade on Marie, but she was pushed by Riku. The blade barely skimmed the boy's side, and Sora quickly grabbed hold of Riku's Keyblade as he attacked Xemnas. He used both Keyblades and fiercely attacked the Nobody until he jumped away. Sora jumped back down near Riku and Marie, and he gave the Keyblade back. He pointed his own Keyblade at Xemnas, who was still in the air, and both Riku and Marie touched it as well. A powerful beam of light went straight towards the Nobody, and completely took him out.

He fell to his knees, and the three of them were glad to have finally been done with Xemnas. Marie quickly turned around and looked over to Dante and Aura, who were still tied up. With Xemnas unconscious, the three of them safely walked up to the other two. Marie bent down in front of Dante, and smiled as she brought her hands together in front of Dante's shackles.

"I just have to use my powers, right?" she asked. Dante nodded, and Marie closed her eyes and concentrated. She wasn't sure how to summon the power of Kingdom Hearts, but she really wanted her father and Aura to be safe. She concentrated a little more, and a small speck of light appeared from her palms. It eventually turned into a brought light, and the power of Kingdom Hearts started to expose.

From behind them, Xemnas managed to get up, and noticed Marie using its powers. He still had a bit of strength in him, and as he got up started running towards the girl. His scream echoed the room, and by the time Riku or Sora was able to do anything, Xemnas' light blade pierced through the skin of his target. The light died down, and everything suddenly became blurry. Unknown to Marie, Dante was able to get up the moment his shackles were gone, but the light around them all still shined. He was able to hear Xemnas shouting in time to stand in front of his daughter and their enemy, and was stabbed in the stomach right as the blade came rushing in.

Sora and Riku quickly took out their Keyblades and disposed of Xemnas, who quickly started to disappear. Marie gasped and ran to her father's side once he hit the floor, with tears streaming down her face. "Why did you do that!?" she shouted.

"Marie, don't worry… I did what I did because I love you," he said, though barely audible. "I finally got to see my daughter… after fifteen years. This… was more than I could… ask for."

He slowly raised his hands, and a small speck of light appeared, much similar to what Marie had done previously. "I also wanted you to use your powers… so that the little piece I took from Kingdom Hearts would be used on her."

The speck of light formed into a ball that traveled its way towards Aura, who was still pale and unconscious. Dante smiled and lowered his arm, but Marie was still devastated at what had happened. He told her not to worry and that he loved her, and eventually passed out. Just then, a dark portal appears in front of them all. The same woman who fought with Stella earlier on appeared, and looked down at the man with a serious look. She glared at the teens, and quickly brought up her hand as Dante's body started to disappear. Marie gasped and quickly got up, but the woman stopped her.

"I'm here to take what's mine," she told them. Marie growled at the woman, but she paid no attention. Dante appeared in front of her, and as she snapped her fingers a portal appeared around both of them, making them disappear before the teens.

"Hey, come back!" Marie shouted. When the portal completely disappeared Marie grew distraught. Before she could say anything however, she heard low moans coming from the girl on the floor. Marie quickly turned around, and started walking to Aura's side. "Aura…?"

The brunette slowly opened her eyes and saw Marie, Riku and Sora hovering over them. She gave a weak smile—probably one of her widest smiles—and stared at them all. "Boy… am I glad to see all of you."

"Aura, are you okay?" Riku asked, softly holding on to her shoulder. She shook her head, and the three teens suddenly grew with more worry on their faces.

"I… missed the fight, didn't I?" she asked. Marie told her that she was taken from them a while ago, and asked what Xemnas did to her. "He took… everything… and all I could do… was watch. The power he used… was all mine… I'm sorry. I wish I could've… beaten that idiot up…"

"No, Aura… you did great. You survived, that's all that matters," Marie told her. The brunette scoffed, and looked up towards Sora.

"Sora… it was my fault that Marie forgot everything about you…" she confessed. Sora only stared, but he wasn't mad. He told her that even if it didn't happen, he knew he and Marie would surpass anything. She gave a happy sigh, and continued. "You better take care of her… or I might come back… and be a pain in your butt."

She managed to get a small chuckle from Sora. "I'm glad I met you, Aura."

Aura closed her eyes for a moment, which caused the teens to worry a bit, but she quickly opened them after. She looked at Riku, who just stared with a sad expression. "Hey, you… stop with that face… you know this was going to happen."

"You disappearing, yeah… but I didn't want it to happen," he told her. Sora and Marie looked at Riku, who seemed the most saddened by Aura disappearing. Maybe it was just her, but Marie wondered if Riku had feelings for Aura. The brunette shook her head, which got Marie's attention.

"Don't worry; I'm okay with it…" she told them. She brought her arm up, although slowly, and turned to Marie. "It's time… we became whole…"

Marie took a moment to look at the teen, and sighed at how cruel it was to be a Nobody. She really wanted Aura to be someone she could stand and smile with, but they both knew. Marie slowly brought up her hand and looked at Riku and Sora, who were just staring at the two. She knew Roxas was with Sora, so maybe Aura would be able to see him too. She sighed as she brought her hand closer to Aura's, and the two eventually held hands. Aura smiled at Marie, and the two became engulfed in a purple light.

**-x-**

Aura opened her eyes only to find herself on an endless beach. She looked around, and walked along the shores. Something about the place seemed almost too peaceful, and she wondered what was up. She stopped walking when she heard footsteps, and quickly turned to her left. There he was, in all his blonde glory… the boy she had been trying to forget was standing right there in front of her, and she took a deep breath.

"Hi," he said, giving a faint smile.

"Hey," she replied, unsure of what to do. He looked down at the pouch that she proudly wore all through her adventure, and his smile grew a bit wider.

"You're still wearing that pouch, even though I was the one who got it for you." Aura looked down at it, and honestly thought that Axel was the one who got it for her. She looked up and asked him why he didn't say anything, and Roxas continued to smile. "You looked happy when you thought Axel got it for you."

Aura looked down towards the sand and felt a pang of guilt. She really didn't know, and she really wasn't at all fair towards the boy. Roxas walked a bit closer to her, and she looked up. "I really like you Aura. All that we went through together… the good, the bad… to almost thinking I would forget everything. There's no way I could ever forget someone like you, not in a million years."

"Roxas, if you really mean everything you say, then why didn't you show up when you were supposed to?" she told him, a bit of sadness in her tone. "I sat there waiting, and waiting until you would show. You never came."

Roxas looked away, shame and guilt overtaking him. "I was too angry to even think straight. I wanted to look for answers but I wasn't getting any at the castle, so I left."

"You could've told me how you felt, you know," she looked at Roxas, who only felt remorse about his actions back then. He agreed with her.

"Things will never be the way they were; I don't even think I'll ever have you back—I don't think I deserve it," he said. Aura looked away from Roxas and out into the ocean. She watched as the waves came in and out of the shore, and there was a small silence between the two until she spoke.

"Roxas, you'll always have me. We were _meant_ to be together, like how Sora and Marie were meant to," she told him. It didn't sound right on his end, but she continued. "I will always love you, but maybe not in the way I once thought. I'm not really sure how to feel, but I do love you."

That was enough for Roxas, who watched as Aura smiled brightly at him. Her words were genuine, and he really enjoyed seeing the smile she once gave long ago. She may not be in love with the blonde, but at least he knew that she cared for him, and that was enough to make the blonde smile in return. He didn't know where she would end up going, but he would support any way he could. "I really missed your smile," he told her.

"It feels weird," she replied. Roxas stood beside her, and brought his hand towards hers as he held it. She didn't mind, and they both looked at the ocean. "I thought I could never forgive you, but now that we're here, it doesn't matter. I like how this is, but…"

Roxas turned as she started to disappear, but she kept smiling. He smiled in return, knowing full well that a girl like Aura was not one to stay put. She waved to him, and he did as well.

"I do like the adventures."

* * *

><p>Decided to end it here, since I wanna get more chapters in. plus, this is like, 9,000 words too long.<p>

**To view how Stella looks, go here:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Stella-KH-3D-and-On-421850295

**Dante pretty much looks the same as here, but with a more mature, wrinkled face:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Dante-Trinity-Stella-393061170?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F29599925&qo=2

Trinity won't be seen or fully introduced until the next story, sorry!

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>Haha, I know it's such a first that she was kidnapped, but I hope that her piece here was worth it. :D I KNOW I FELT SO SAD WHEN I WROTE MARIE AND ANSEM. It was such a feels trip, and yes Saix is too corrupted to go back to the light. Yes, I feel the same way, which is why I wrote it as such, but now we're getting to the more serious parts of the story—and the future story! A lot of people match Jack with Merida, which is really cute, but now that Elisa's in the picture it's changed haha.

**JoojKA:  
><strong>Ahaha, sorry! But at least you had a nice break in between :D I know I had the hardest time writing for Marie and Ansem because I really wanted to get that emotional style from it. She gets even more emotional now because of Stella and Dante, and heck even with Aura—who had a moment with Roxas. I'm really glad I tied all those knots.

Aw, actually I haven't played the game. I've been watching walkthroughs since I don't have a 3DS. I wasn't going to let that stop me though :D but I understand if you want to play the game for the experience, but you're always welcomed to read even if you haven't played the game. I won't judge. :D Aww, and thanks for the compliment! Since being in school I've done so much writing that I'd be disappointed if my writing style _hasn't_ changed.

**Dracula X:  
><strong>I shall listen to that song! Thanks for mentioning it. :D yes, it's been about 3 years since I started the series, but we're not done yet—not until I finish my KH:3D story. Then it'll be over until the release of KH3. After that it'll be done with. I'll be sad though, but I had a great run at this.

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Aww, I know. This whole story will be done with though, and I hope you'll look forward to my new story with them all. :D

**Dracula-key:  
><strong>Haha, thanks! I'm glad I'm still writing it, but it'll eventually come to an end. Yes, thank god. I hate Atlantica with a passion. I would die happy if they made Frozen in the new KH3 game, I WOULD DIE SO INCREDIBLY HAPPY.


	61. We're Back Home

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-383502787

**Ryan:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F29599925&qo=12

**A/N:  
><strong>Just one more chapter until we are officially done and over!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixty-One<strong>

**ଓ**

**We're back home**

Riku and Sora watched as the two girls in front of them disappeared. Sora panicked and tried touching Marie, but they were too transparent to touch. Almost after that, a bunch of Nobodies surrounded Riku and Sora. A bright light appeared around them, and Riku quickly fell to his knees.

"Sora… I can't…" Riku told him. Sora told him not to say another word, since it wasn't over. The boy picked Riku up on one shoulder, but the silver head was skeptic. "How can you say that? Even if we could go on… look where we are."

Sora told the boy to cheer up and think positively, and he started leading the way to get out of the place. As they walked, Riku couldn't help but let Sora know that he felt like he was better at stuff than him.

"Really?"

"Are you mad?"

"No," Sora told him. He looked over to Riku with a big smile plastered on his face. "I kinda always thought you were better at everything, too."

They kept walking until they saw a light, and eventually made their way into it. They were in a dark place covered with rocks. Riku was able to walk, and Sora helped him on his feet. The brunette walked over to the shore, which was pretty dark with everything else, and wondered if maybe the darkness had gotten to him as well. He turned around, and noticed Riku lying on the floor. He panicked and quickly ran over to him, but he managed to get up.

"This world is perfect for me," he told Sora. "If this is what the world really is… just this? Then maybe I should fade back into darkness."

Sora had nothing to say, but Riku continued on saying if the world was made of light and darkness, then they'd be the darkness. Sora didn't really know what to say, so he just agreed as he sat beside his best friend. The realm of light was safe, and he was glad that everyone was over there now. Riku asked Sora to help him down to the shore, and the two of them made their way towards it.

"What I said back there… about thinking I was better at stuff than you…" Riku said. Sora made a noise of acknowledgement, and Riku continued. "To tell the truth, Sora… I was jealous of you."

"What for?"

"I wished I could live life the way you do. Just following my heart," Riku explained. The boy always wished he could follow his heart, but it was never that simple. Maybe things would be different if he had? He didn't know, and he couldn't know. Maybe that was the difference between Riku and Sora.

"Yeah, well, I've got my share of problems, too." Riku asked him what type of problems, and the boy simply told him that those problems were wanting to be like him. Riku laughed, and told him he had one thing that Sora could never imitate. "Really? What's that?" Sora asked.

"Having you for a friend," Riku said. Sora smiled and looked back into the ocean. He told Riku that he also had something that he couldn't imitate, but the boy knew what it was. They were the best of friends, and no one could ever change that. They both stared up into the sky, until Riku felt something beside his ankle. He looked down and noticed a crystal floating near the shore. It was yellow, and somehow it felt familiar to the boy. He picked it up, and the moment he did the crystal lit up. Sora looked at it, and wondered what it was. Riku just smiled as the crystal turned into a glowing flower—he knew where it was from.

_"So… when were you planning to leave?"_

Riku looked around to try and find the voice, but no one appeared in sight. Sora couldn't here it, but he noticed that the flower started glowing even brighter, and out into the ocean appeared a bright light. A door appeared right after, even though it was still shining. Riku looked at it, but Sora quickly got up from the sand.

"The door to light," he said. He looked down to Riku, and offered his hand. "We'll go together."

Riku looked up, and smiled as he nodded his head. He got up, and they both started walking towards the light.

**-x-**

We all stood waiting by the shore—well, at least Kairi and I. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy went around the island, while Ryan went back to check in with his parents. I hadn't gone to see anything besides this island, because I wanted to wait for Sora and Riku. I was actually brought to this island when Aura and I merged, and I haven't really heard from her since. I didn't know how this merged thing went, but I really did feel whole—like that missing piece that was gone throughout this journey came back.

"Do you see them?" Kairi asked. I shook my head, but I quickly averted my eyes to the water when something fell into it. I brought my hand over my eyes and squinted, and I smiled when I saw specks of brown, spikey hair. I tugged at Kairi's arm, and pointed out towards the sea. She gasped and smiled, and started waving her hands. "Sora! Riku!"

We saw the two looking at us, and I smiled when Sora looked at me. They both started swimming their way towards us, and Kairi looked at me. "How did you know this was the place to wait?"

"I don't know… maybe it was my intuition telling me," I told her. I really didn't know, I mean we all ended up here on the island, and Donald and Goofy wanted to go back to the town. But somehow, deep inside me, I just knew where to wait. Maybe it was Aura telling me—but who knew? Donald, Goofy and the King came running in front of us, and both Donald and Goofy tackled Sora down to the water. Mickey came running after Riku, who gave the guy a big hug. We walked a bit closer to Sora and the two, and when he stopped hugging them he looked towards Kairi and me.

They gave each other a long stare as they smiled, and although I could've felt a bit jealous, I wasn't. I was smiling for the both of them, since I knew this was Sora's first time coming home from when he first started his journey. He took out the charm that Kairi gave him, and handed it back. She smiled and took it quite eagerly, and then I felt Sora's eyes on me. I turned and smiled at him.

"It must feel pretty great to be home," I told him. He tried getting up, but Kairi helped him, and he walked towards me until we were face-to-face. He grabbed me by the waist, and I couldn't help but chuckle. I placed my hands on his chest.

"Didn't I say we'd be going home together?" he told me. I smiled and nodded, and he placed his forehead on mine. "Well… we're finally home."

It wasn't long after that that Sora leaned in and kissed me. I felt the butterflies swim all over in my stomach as he did, almost like it was the first time. Except this time… we were home. I heard Donald and Goofy swooning over us, with Mickey chuckling in the background. Heck, I even heard Kairi giggling at us. We parted from the kiss and looked at everyone, who looked at us with big smiles—finally, we were all home! The moment I had been waiting since forever was right here! I never thought I would return but look at us now, we just defeated a great evil and our reward was going back home to the people we loved the most.

"Hey!" we heard Ryan running up to us. He seemed happier than usual, and he had changed his clothes. He wore a simple white shirt with brown shorts, and even his hat was off. He stopped near us, and I noticed that he didn't have to bend down to breath, which I was pretty glad to see. "Hey, the boat is ready. I'm sure our parents are worried about us."

"Hey, that's right. My mom is probably worried sick!" Sora mentioned. Riku suggested going back, and we all agreed. We all got on the boat and headed back to the town.

**-x-**

Riku and Sora quickly headed off to their street, while Kairi headed in another direction. Donald, Goofy and the King headed towards the inn, while Ryan and I were left to walk back to Cozy Street. To be honest, I was holding m breath in—I'm completely nervous to meet my mom and dad—well, my aunt and uncle. There was so much I had to know, and so much to tell them.

"I didn't tell them about you yet—I only told them I didn't find you, since I figured you would want to," Ryan told me. I wondered what happened when Ryan came here, but he told me that his parents gave him quite a talk about running away, but they were incredibly glad to see he was safe. He even went to the doctors and asked if he seemed alright, and they were surprised to know he didn't show any negative signs, but they still took a blood test to be sure. He won't really know until a week or so.

Well, we were at the front steps of our house, and I took a moment to really reel in the house that I had lived in. I took a deep breath, and Ryan opened the door. Once we were in, we heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I looked around the house—nothing really changed that much, except for the kitchen, which was totally brand new.

"Ryan, is that you?" a female voice said from above. That voice—the voice of a mother that nurtured me when I was young. Now she was just my aunt—but still an important person in my life. "Ryan, why aren't you—"

The woman stopped right when she reached us, and she had a look of shock on her face. She gasped, and from the pantry I heard a male voice—obviously the voice of my uncle. He came walking out with a plate, but it quickly fell to the floor and broke apart. They both eyed me, and Ryan came in after the initial introduction was made. "Sorry, mom and dad. I _kind of_ lied when I said I didn't find her. I actually did, and here she is."

"Marie…?" my aunt said. She cupped a hand over her mouth, and was about to cry. I already saw the tears filling her eyes, and when I looked over to my uncle, he had the same expression. They both slowly walked over to me, and when my aunt placed a hand on my shoulder they both jumped in for a group hug. I smiled and laughed a bit as they did, and I couldn't help but let the tears come out—these were my parents when I was young, after all. They're my family. "Oh dear god, I always prayed this day would come!" my aunt said.

"Marie, we looked everywhere! We even had the police search around and send out flyers of your disappearance!" my uncle said. He held me just a bit tighter, and I chuckled as I hugged them back.

"I'm really happy that I'm finally back home," I told them. "I never thought I would be here, but I really am happy."

The door began to knock, and we all parted from the hug as I wiped away my tears. Ryan went over to open it, with Sora, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, and Kairi all standing on the other side. They had smiles on their faces, and Ryan let them through. My aunt and uncle were a bit confused about them, but I told them they were friends who helped me get back home. They honestly didn't care after I said the bit about bringing me back home, and they completely welcomed them inside their house. My uncle even brought out cookies that he was in the midst of making.

We all lounged around the living room, and it was certainly weird being in this place again, especially with friends. Riku sat by the King while Donald and Goofy took up the two-seater. Kairi sat on one of the single couches while Ryan leaned against the armrest, and Sora and I were sitting beside each other, with his arm around my shoulder. It definitely felt weird, but a good weird. They all ate the cookies my uncle made, and Ryan snapped his fingers when he thought of something.

"Let's take some pictures, you know, for the memories!" he said. Everyone else seemed pretty fine with it, so we all got up as Ryan went to find his camera. He came back to us, and started taking individual pictures that led to group pictures. He took one of all of us, and set the timer as he ran in the front. It felt great being a normal teenager for once, but I still felt weird how Aura wasn't with us… I shook my head—she's in a better place, right? Wait, no… that sounds like she's dead. I sighed, maybe I shouldn't be thinking of her.

Ryan called Sora and I, and we looked at him. He told us to pose for the camera, and we did. Sora had his arms around my waist while I had my hands on his chest. We smiled as wide as we could, and Ryan took the picture. He decided to take another, but Sora suddenly kissed my cheek as my surprised face got on camera. Still, it was all a good time, and I kept smiling all the way. My favorites were Riku, Sora and Ryan taking a picture together, and Kairi taking a picture with Ryan. They seemed really happy in the picture.

**-x-**

After the picture date was over, Sora decided to get a good night's rest at home, and everyone else agreed. I could imagine the rest of the gang wanting to sleep in their proper beds, heck I even went to check out _my_ room—which still remained the same, except for my bed. It was a bit dusty, but my aunt and uncle had cleaned it enough so that I could properly breathe in it. I sat on the bed, and smiled at the feeling of being in it. Everything in this room made me smile with memories, some that I could actually remember this time. That was another thing that felt great—remembering my past! I could remember anything, and it was amazing. I gave a content sigh, but I heard footsteps walking near the door. They passed it, and I heard them going downstairs. I opened up the shades from my window, and hadn't noticed how late it was. I decided to go downstairs, and I saw my aunt and uncle looking at what appeared to be a photo album. I walked towards them, and they seemed to have noticed as they closed the book. I don't think Ryan told them that I knew they were my aunt and uncle, so maybe I had to clear that up.

"It's okay to look through it," I said as I walked further into the room. "I know you guys aren't my parents. You're my aunt and uncle, right?"

"We're sorry," I heard my uncle say. I smiled and shook my head, telling them it was alright, but he kept shaking his head. "We should've told you sooner, but we didn't know things would end up the way they did."

"Their names are Stella and Dante, right?" I asked. They seemed a bit shocked, but they both nodded. My uncle told me that Stella stayed for about five months after I was born, but disappeared after that. Dante was gone even before I was born—but I wasn't really angry, I could actually understand them, since they were in Kingdom Hearts. They probably had a rough journey or something. I took a deep breath; this was the part that was going to get confusing. "They didn't die. They're still alive, but I just don't know where."

"You saw them!?" my aunt said. I nodded, and they both looked at me as if I saw two ghosts. Which, really seems like it, but it's not. I told them that I talked to them, and even got to meet them, but they left. I told them that they were always watching out for me. My aunt smiled. "That seems just them. You're father is a caring person, he would never let you fall."

"And your mother was definitely a tough woman, I'm sure she would've beaten the person who meant danger to you," my uncle said. It was a relief at how much good they knew about them, since it really made me think about some things. They were still alive, but just lost from where home was. I looked over to my aunt and uncle, who seemed so sad about not being able to see their brother or sister. I was getting a bit tired, and told them goodnight before heading to my room.

I will admit, it's strange not having a voice inside my head telling me all these things. Now that Stella and Dante—my mom and dad, were out of Kingdom Hearts, where would they go? Were they lost? What about that woman with orange hair? What was her connection with my parents and Xemnas? There was something that didn't add up, and I couldn't get it out of my head. I got changed into some pajamas that my aunt let me use, but they were a bit too large for me, yet still comfortable. I lied down on my bed and looked up at the ceiling, so much had happened in my adventure that it was now starting to feel weird just doing nothing, even though I had previously said that it felt great being a normal teenager. It does feel nice, but why did I get the feeling that I just wasn't done?

**-x-**

The next day came by slowly, and I was standing in front of the mirror while fixing my hair. I hadn't gotten a good look at my face since we were back, and I also hadn't realized just how long my hair grew. I was still in my pajama, but my aunt came in a bit earlier and got a couple of outfits based on the clothes I was wearing—which I hadn't realized were cleaned thanks to her. Not to be rude or anything, but I ended up just wearing the clothes that I was used to wearing, because it felt hard changing into something else. I fixed my hair up into a pony tail and walked out of the house.

My aunt gave me the keys to my parent's house, hoping that I could find some clues as to where they went. Of course, I decided not to go right ahead, since I've wanted to see something that I left ages ago.

I made my way down to the pier and looked at the boats. I got on one of them and started moving towards the waters, and when it was deep enough, I hopped on the boat. After all that I went through, handling a small boat was nothing difficult at all. I made it towards the island, and landed the boat near the pier. I got off and started walking around the place—it sure felt great being back here, even though I was here the other day. I made my way towards the very place where it all meant something—the little cove around the corner. I brushed my hands along the stone walls, and saw the opening to the cove. The place certainly looked the same, and I was glad that it did. My eyes brightened when I saw the drawing that I drew way back when, but I felt them watering when I saw a drawing that greatly resembled Sora.

I bent down and took a closer look at it, I remember making this drawing for Riku, and it was obvious that he never finished it. I sat down now with my knees close to my chest, and I wrapped my arms around them. I heard footsteps coming from the entrance, but I didn't turn around until I heard Riku's voice.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. I watched as he sat beside me, and I smiled at him before looking back at the drawing.

"I was just remembering back when I drew this. You know, it was meant for you," I said. He shifted a bit in his sitting, but eventually let out a chuckle.

"I bet you didn't even know what the Paopu fruit meant back then," he said. He brought up his hand and started ruffling my hair, and I had to slap away his hand—I just did my hair!

"That habit of yours never left, even from last year," I let out. Riku looked at me with wide eyes, and I turned towards him with a smile.

"You… remember everything from last year?" he asked. I nodded. I told him that I started remembering when Aura and I merged. I don't know if it was her, or some other force, but all the memories from Castle Oblivion came back. I was quite thankful, because I wouldn't have known just how great a friend Riku could really be. He told me Sora didn't remember anything from there, that his memories were being replaced with new ones. He opted to keep the old ones though, and I chuckled at how he was kept under sleep for a year—that must have been some sleep!

"I also remember Ienzo, Even, Aeleus," I told him. My smile turned into a frown when I remembered Axel, but I still looked at Riku. "I even remember seeing Lea there."

Riku and I sat for a moment looking at the drawings; there had been other drawings, even one of Sora and Kairi handing each other the Paopu fruit like mine and his. There were drawings from Riku, Sora, and Kairi. Even some of the drawings I did were still there. The amount of peace that was in this space was nice, since it felt like nothing could attack us now. It felt like a nice calm washing over us, and I couldn't help but give a happy, content sigh. I noticed Riku looking over my shoulder, and he nudged it. I turned to him, and he pointed out towards the entrance of the cove. I looked over, and saw Sora waving at us.

"Why don't you go ahead? I'll be out in awhile," he told me. I saw him look over and smirk at Sora, and I was suddenly wondering what was going on. I got up from the floor and patted the dirt off my shorts, and walked over to where Sora was standing. He had a huge smile on his face, and I smiled back—gosh, that smile was so contagious.

"There's something I wanna show you," he told me. I asked what it was, but he just took my hand and led me across the beach towards a smaller area with a tree hanging by. I looked around and noticed the tree was huge, and had a place where we could sit. We got to it, and Sora told me to take a seat. I was wondering what was going through his head, but I just complied and sat down as I watched he walk around me. I heard him pick up something, but he sat down too fast for me to notice—he _was_ hiding something behind his back though.

"Everywhere we went, you were always with me," he said. I smiled at that thought—I was always with him, but he was always with me, even when we had out problems. "Now that we're back home, we can _always_ be together. But…."

Whatever he had behind his back was brought out into the open, and my eyes widened when I saw that he had a Paopu fruit with him. How did I not notice that when we were walking over here? Either way, I was still unsure of the actual legend with this fruit, but Sora smiled at me and explained it to me, "'If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what.' That's what the legend says."

"Does that mean… you wanna share one with me?" I asked. He nodded, and my stomach started fluttering. After hearing the meaning behind this fruit, I was more than ready to share it with him. Sora will always be the person I want in my life no matter what, and he knew that, so I think it was about time. I saw him cut the fruit in half and handed a piece to me, which I took eagerly.

"Now we can really be together," he said. He was the first to take a bite, and I watched as he ate half of it. I looked down to the fruit in my hand, and took a big bite from it. Sora and I smiled at each other as we kept eating the fruit, and the evening went by with us cuddling each other by the tree.

**-x-**

After we made it to the town, I got to meet Sora's mother, and let me tell you: it's true when they say sons resemble mothers. She was really sweet though and the moment Sora introduced me she knew he and I were together. Of course, Sora became really flustered, but he eventually told her that we were. It was a first, but it didn't really need saying that Sora and I would be together. She seemed to like me though, and even told me to take care of Sora when she wasn't around, which I vowed to do.

I also met Riku's mother, who actually remembered me from such a long time ago. She was a bit tearful that I came back, and attacked me into such a hug, that I almost couldn't breathe. It was a good evening, but we all eventually had to go home—at least Sora and Riku did. I had something else to do. I made my way down towards the street where my parents lived—or used to live, depends on how you see it, and took out the key from my pocket. I opened the door, which was pretty rusty, and pushed it opened from being closed all this time.

The house was incredibly dusty, and it had a bit of a mucky smell, but I was still able to tolerate. I walked over to the living room to check and see if there was anything that could help me know more about my parents, but I didn't find anything. I checked the kitchen, dining room, and before looking into the study, I went up stairs. There was only the washroom and two rooms, one of which was obviously my parents and the other a supposed work in progress—maybe it was for me? I shook my head, and walked over to their room, and I started checking the closet and dressers. It was nothing but clothes so I went over to the night stands—it's definitely forbidden territory for a child to look through their parents stuff, but I really needed answers.

I couldn't find anything out in the open, but when my foot got near the bed I hit something. I raised my eyebrow in confusion and bent down, only to find a white box. I grabbed it and sat down a bit to look at it, but I didn't want to open it yet, since I still had the study left to go. I made my way downstairs and opened the doors to the study room, which had stacks of books on shelves surrounding a desk. I walked over to the desk and sat down on the chair, which was really cold from not having being sat on for a long while. I opened the drawers from the desk to see if there was anything, and to my surprise there were a couple of notes. I took them all out and opened the white box, which had some content and even _more_ notes lying in it, and took a while to examine them all.

The notes from the box really gave a lot of insight about my parents, and I even found some notes about my grandmother, Anne. She was a Keyblade master, and suddenly… this fiasco about the Keyblade suddenly started making sense. I never knew how I got the Keyblade, or why it picked me—but now it made sense… my grandmother was a Keyblade master, and my mother was a Keyblade wielder. I guess I was next in line to receive the powers of the Keyblade, and with my powers from Kingdom Hearts I could very well be a force to be reckoned with, if I _knew_ how to properly use my powers. I set those notes aside and tried looking for whoever wrote them, but when I did my eyes went wider than saucers.

"Xehanort!?" I shouted. I cupped my mouth after realizing how loud I was, and looked down at the name again. How was this man everywhere!? Was it possible that Xehanort came to Destiny Islands? There was so much involving this guy and he was everywhere I went that it was starting to make me feel uncomfortable. How did Xehanort know about my grandmother? Was it through her that he knew about the Keyblade _and_ Kingdom Hearts? I lowered my eyes, was it my family's fault that this evil person came to be the way he was? A pang of guilt hit me harder than a cold fish, but I decided to look at the notes that were from the desk.

They were from my father and it talked about a woman. I squinted my eyes a bit at the name—Trinity? That was the woman who fought with my mom and took my dad away! I scattered to look at the rest of the notes and eventually found a photo. Trinity Devon, sister to my father and my aunt… which meant… Trinity was my aunt? I gasped and took a deep breath to calm my nerves, what the heck is going on!? I tried looking through the notes, but my vision was starting to become blurry from taking in so much. Why was my aunt fighting with my mom, and why did she take my dad? The golden question, though, was why she was siding with Xemnas. Was my aunt teaming up with this guy? We defeated Xemnas, so what was she going to do now? She still had my dad in her captive and I couldn't even know if he was alive or not.

Instead of getting answers, I had more questions than ever, and the only people who could even answer them were out of this world fighting each other. I looked at every single note on the desk for a bit, and when I was done put them all in the white box. I grabbed it and walked out of the house after locking it. When I reached my house I quickly went upstairs and started pulling things towards my bed, I knew what I had to do.

Luckily, Ryan still hadn't picked up his duffle bag from the living room, and I went to grab it quickly. I placed his stuff on one side of my bed, and started shoving in everything I could from my room in it. This might've been what Ryan did when he first set out, but now I was doing it, and I wasn't going to regret it. How horrible would it be that my parents were somewhere out there fighting when I was here sitting cozy in my bed? It wasn't right, even after all that my parents did for me. Now it was my turn to return the favor.

I packed all the stuff in the duffle bag, but from here I had no clue where to go or where to start. It was easier said than done, and I looked out the window with the duffle bag lumped over my shoulder. Kingdom Hearts… I know my mother's voice is no longer with me, but I really need the strength to find a path where I can go looking for my parents and aunt. If Trinity is truly evil, then please give me the strength to help her—I don't want to see anyone fall to the darkness anymore. I closed my eyes as I leaned my head against the window pane, but then I bright light suddenly appeared. I turned towards it and it looked like a door, and where it led was the question, but I felt quite safe being near it.

Was this the path Kingdom Hearts was giving me? Maybe it was where I needed to go? With one deep breath, I fixed myself up and stood straight. I looked over to my bed, and saw those two letters on it. I think the moment I came home, I knew I would have to leave again, and I wanted to be prepared for it. I did all that I could so that everyone here would be okay, and that they'd know I was out doing what my heart wanted me to do. I reached into my pocket, and felt the crystal that I remember Yen Sid giving me. The flower I wanted Sora to have… and I was going to give it to him. I placed it on top of one of the letters, and I looked at the door. I took a deep breath, and walked through it—no turning back.

* * *

><p>We're not done yet! We've still got the epilogue, but it'll quite short, and hopefully, sweet. There was a review from <strong>Dracula X <strong>asking me about the voices, and I really would like for you all to read it, because I'm very excited to have all of this done. :D

**Dracula X:  
><strong>Thank you very much, I tried my best to keep it as epic as I could. I can't wait for KH:3D, but it might take some time until I write the first chapter.

As for the voices, I changed the voices for both Marie and Aura. I've created a flash for each of my characters (Marie, Aura, Stella, Dante, Trinity _and_ Ryan) having voice clips of the actors and actresses who would voice these characters. Have a look!

**Marie:  
><strong>www**.**fav**.**me/d6zle4e

**Aura:  
><strong>www**.**fav**.**me/d6zldar

**Stella:  
><strong>www**.**fav**.**me/d6zlbq7

**Dante:  
><strong>www**.**fav**.**me/d6zlcf4

**Trinity:  
><strong>www**.**fav**.**me/d6zlcsl

**Ryan:  
><strong>www**.**fav**.**me/d6zldrp

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>Haha, yea a lot of things came crashing down on us with that chapter, and hopefully there is more to come! I'm glad you liked it, and who knows if Dante is dead or not hehe. He was kidnapped by the evil Trinity.

Yeah, I was going for the bittersweet moment with Aura and Roxas. Well, he does like her, but he can't force her to love him back like that, so he's at least glad that she's no longer mad at him. And again, who knows… Aura is still very confused about her feelings, so she might end up returning to Roxas. Haha, I love Peter Pan, and it's very true for Aura, she'll probably live for the adventures.

Haha, I used to watch Avatar for a bit until I lost track and interest. It was good though I just had too much to do. Merry belated Christmas to you too!

**Grapejuice101:  
><strong>Yes, it's sad that it's ending, and I'm gonna really miss it. But you don't know how excited I am for the new story and newly developed characters!


	62. Epilogue

**Marie and her keyblade:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/Marie-and-her-Shooting-Star-Keyblade-383502787

**Ryan:  
><strong>www**.**swirl3y**.**deviantart**.**com/art/That-s-his-name-286861562?q=gallery%3ASWIRL3Y%2F29599925&qo=12

**A/N:  
><strong>Oh, the sweet, sweet epilogue. You can start playing Sanctuary if you want. Or something that will add to the sweetness of this chapter. :D

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixty-Two<strong>

**ଓ**

**Epilogue**

Eli and Leah woke up earlier than usual and decided to work on breakfast for their family, and Eli walked past Marie's room without noticing that it was empty. Leah, however, wasn't so oblivious and walked into the room, and had noticed that Marie was gone. She quickly called Eli back, who came rushing in, and asked where Marie was.

"I don't know, there's just these two letters," she said as she sat down on her bed. She looked down at the letter, and noticed one was for Sora, while the other was for them. She practically ripped it open and started reading it. Ryan had woken up from all the commotion and walked into the room to ask what was going on. Leah was starting to whimper, but held it in as she looked at Eli and Ryan. "Marie left… she said she was going to find Stella and Dante. Apparently Trinity is alive…"

"What!? But that… we buried Trinity!" Eli shouted. Ryan stood there in shock as he saw what was unfolding. Marie had gone, even after all that they went through to get her back. He felt pretty angry and even betrayed, but when he got to reading the letter, he calmed down a bit. The letter read that Marie went out looking for a way to bring her parents back, and it told them that Trinity was still alive and well, but too consumed by the darkness. Eli and Leah didn't quite understand, but Ryan did—he gripped the paper in his hand, he wasn't going to let Marie do this on her own.

"Why would she do this, just a couple of days after she _just_ got home?" Leah questioned. Eli held the woman and comforted her but he was just as confused—he missed his family, but he couldn't risk losing his only niece again. He took a deep breath though, and looked over to Ryan, who was still looking at the paper.

"She's gonna be okay, mom. She's survived eleven years on her own, and I don't think anything is going to bring her down," Ryan told her. He looked at his parents, who looked back at him, and he gave them a smile. "I can speak for her, because I _was_ with her. She's strong, and I can only imagine that she got that from my aunt Stella."

"…You're right. Marie and Stella are in so many ways alike," Eli said. He smiled back at Ryan, and looked down at his wife. "And she's got the caring and thoughtful side of Dante. She _will_ be alright."

**-x-**

Sora came gleefully walking down the street towards Marie's house, and was hoping to have a day where they could just spend it together alone. He was glad to have shared the Paopu fruit with her, and it really showed just how much Marie wanted to be with him. He was in front of the house and knocked on it, but something felt off. As soon as his hand bounced off the door, there was something that changed around the house, and he wondered if everything was okay.

"Sora!" Ryan ran shouting when he opened the door. Sora didn't have time to answer when Ryan pulled him in, and now he really wondered what was going on. Ryan planted him on one of the stools attached to the island of their kitchen, and the older teen went running upstairs and practically flew back down with a letter and a crystal. "This is for you."

"What is it?" he asked as he was handed the letter and crystal. The older teen shifted a bit in his footing before giving an answer, and it wasn't going to be an answer that Sora liked.

"Listen, man… Marie left. I'm sure it's all written in that letter from her, but I know she's struggling with her parents still out there," Ryan told him, hoping to soften the blow for his cousin's love. Sora just stared down at the letter, feeling a bit confused, sad, and a bit hurt. Why couldn't she come to him first? He got up from the stool and thanked Ryan, who nodded his head in return. He walked out of the house and started making his way towards the island, but along the way he started opening up the letter and started to read it.

_Dear Sora,_

_I'm sure that by now I'll be gone, and I wanted to come to you, but it didn't seem fair taking you from everyone just to help me. I know it's also not fair just leaving everyone behind—especially you, but I know deep down in my heart that I can't truly stay happy until I figure out everything, and that involves my parents. They're still out there, and even my aunt Trinity, who we saw fighting alongside Xemnas. There's still a mystery, or rather, a whole load of questions that need to be answered, and the only way I can achieve that is by searching for my parents and aunt. _

_I'm really sorry Sora… but no matter what happens, no matter where destiny takes us, I'll always be in your heart; and you'll always be in mine. No matter how far a distance we are, I'll always hear your voice, loud and clear. The wings of love will always bring us together, so I have no worries finding my way back to you. I love you. I always will love you. Please don't be sad… I need at least one of us to be happy, and your cheerful eyes and smile are what always makes me so happy, so please don't be sad._

_I love you so much,_

_Marie Hill_

He noticed a picture falling out of the envelope, and quickly picked it up as he looked at it. It was a picture of him and Marie hugging, the one that Ryan took a couple of days ago. It made him smile, since at the bottom he saw Marie's handwriting on it, with the words 'I love you' on it. He wanted to let a tear fall, but he had to keep smiling for her, and he was proud that Marie was so determined to bring her parents safely back home. He reached into his pocket and noticed the crystal he received with the letter, and when he grabbed it, the ball turned into a glowing flower that was blue. He stared at it in awe, and remembered it being handed to Marie from Yen Sid, but wondered if she gave it to him? Either way, he was going to hold on to it and take care of it. He didn't know where she would be, but he was going to make sure he'd find a way to reach her.

**-x-**

Sora came running down the wood path and made his way towards Riku, who was already sitting down by the giant tree. He jumped over the root, and leaned against it with his hands behind his back.

"Nothing's changed here, huh?" Riku asked, staring out into the ocean. The blue-eyed boy smiled and told him that it really hasn't, and Riku gave a faint smile. "What a small world."

"But part of one that's much bigger," Sora replied. He turned up to Riku, and asked what the door to the light was, and the silver head jumped down and faced Sora, telling him that it was their hearts. The light was always closer than they thought. Sora smiled, thinking about Marie and the words she relayed onto him, and nodded his head at Riku.

"Yo! Sora! Riku!" the two teens turned their heads to find Ryan and Kairi running down and towards them. Kairi had a bottle in her hands, and the two of them reached Sora and Riku, she bent down to catch her breath. Ryan waited a bit until she caught it, since he no longer had to do that, and when Sora asked what was going on Ryan looked at him, "It's a letter."

"From the king?" Sora asked as he looked down at the bottle to see King Mickey's insignia on the letter. He unscrewed the cork and pushed the letter out from the bottle and started to read it. His eyes widened along with everyone else's as they read the content, and somehow, this was the answer that Sora was looking for his worries.

**-x-**

Somehow, I had made my way to Radiant Garden, a place that was my second home for many years. I was really surprised, but incredibly happy to be able to return here, since I got to meet Leon, Cid, Yuffie, Aerith and Merlin again. They asked me how I got here, and I explained to them what had happened—to which they were really happy about the defeat of Xemnas. Merlin was exceptionally interested about gaining my powers back from Kingdom Hearts, but I really had no clue where to start with them, it was a miracle I was able to make it here _because_ of it.

The first thing I really did when I got here was change into a different pair of clothes and trim my hair a bit, since it was starting to get a bit annoying, and then I started walking around the place. It was finally shaping up—into the Radiant Garden that we all remembered from way back when, a place we were all proud to call home. Ansem was no longer with us, but the legacy he created would surely live on, and I was glad that Leon and the others were here to make it happen. I stopped walking once I reached the balcony of the bailey, and I stared out into the town.

Although my journey so far was tough, it's still not over. When I find my parents, and figure out where Trinity is, I'll return home and _then_ we can all live happily ever after. I've got a lot of work ahead of me, and a lot of research to do, but I know I'll find them. As Auron would say…

My story is far from over.

**ଓ**

**The end**

* * *

><p>So, here we are—finally done with the story.<p>

Thank you, to every single one of you who stayed and read this story, even when it went on a long break. You stood by me and waited until chapters were uploaded, and I couldn't thank you all enough. This has been a real treat, and a real challenge to my writing, but I feel like I've grown from the person who _first_ started writing this series. I'm really glad to have shared my progress with you all.

And I shall leave it at that, because I still need to save up some love for when I complete the next story, and when it comes out KH:III. I would like to give a big thanks to everyone who has added this story to their favorites, watch list, and any other lists you may have had.

I would like to give an even bigger thanks to the lovely people who took their time to review my story. It meant a great big deal to me, and I love you all.

My next story won't be out right away. It'll take a few days to a week to get the chapters flowing, but please be patient. Keep your eyes out for the title **Dreamless**, as that will be my next KH story. Until then, good-bye!

**Shadow 1n2:  
><strong>Haha, no I got your last review, but thanks for reviewing again! Yup, I tried to write as much fluff between those two without going overboard, and that fruit pretty much sealed the deal between them! I wouldn't be so sure just yet about Aura and Roxas, since we'll be seeing a lot of her… just not with Roxas. :D and technically not _everyone_ is back home. D: But we will see more next time.

I saw it a couple of times, but just online, I don't think they ever passed it on T.V here in Canada. I thought it was nice, and they did give Hook a different lighting than usual, which was a nice break from his usual cast. I wish I could go to Neverland! I would never leave!

Yeah, I heard about the movie, but I never went to watch it. When they played it live I was like, oh no, it's not gonna be the same! No one can pull a better live than DC/Marvel! They'll always be number one!

**CatLoverx33:  
><strong>Yep, now she really remembers everything! And thank you very much, I tried my best to make it seem as sweet as I could!


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